At least 26 people were killed in Lahore on Tuesday after suicide bomber detonated explosives at a market in the Kot Lakhpat neighbourhood. The Pakistan Taliban, otherwise called the Tehreek-e-Taliban, claimed responsibility for the blast, Reuters reported, which also left 52 injured. Of those killed, nine were police officers, according to Dawn.
Lahore police operations chief Haider Ashraf told Reuters that the bomber drove into a police checkpoint on a motorcycle. The injured were moved to hospitals in the vicinity, and the Army was called in to survey the area.
Police said the officers killed were there to provide security to the Lahore Development Authority, which was carrying out demolition work in the vicinity. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif “strongly condemned” the blast.
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