Nine people, including five policemen, were killed and at least 25 were injured in a suicide blast in Raiwind on the outskirts of Lahore on Wednesday, The Express Tribune reported. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has a house in the locality.

Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Haider Ashraf said the explosion occurred near a camp set up for the security personnel deployed for the annual meeting of the Tableeghi Jamaat in Raiwind. Some of the injured, who were taken to a nearby hospital, are in critical condition.

Advertisement

Punjab province Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, and said he had sought a report from Inspector General of Police Arif Nawaz Khan. The police official declared a security alert in the province, and asked the law enforcement agencies to strengthen the security in the districts.

This is the first major blast in Lahore this year. A series of terrorist attacks took place in the city in 2017 in which more than 60 people had died.