Bomb blast in Lahore targeted at Christians, 65 dead mainly women and kids

nirman

http://www.theguardian.com/world ... an?CMP=share_btn_tw

At least 69 people have been killed and about 300 injured – many of them women and children – in a suicide bombing by the Taliban at a public park in the Pakistani city of Lahore. Many of the injured were said to be in a critical condition.

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The bomber blew himself up near an entrance to Gulshan-e- Iqbal Park, close to a children’s play area on Sunday evening. The sound of the explosion was heard several kilometres away and eyewitnesses said there were big crowds in the area because of the Easter holiday.

A faction of the Pakistani Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for the explosion, saying it was targeted at Christians celebrating Easter. A spokesman for the group, Ehsanullah Ehsan, told the Guardian: “We have carried out this attack to target the Christians who were celebrating Easter. Also this is a message to the Pakistani prime minister that we have arrived in Punjab [the ruling party’s home province].” However the Punjab government denied the claim that the bombing was aimed exclusively at Christians, as those in the park were from all backgrounds.

“I saw body parts everywhere, especially those of young children. It was quite haunting, as many of the children’s rides were still operating, while there were dead bodies lying all around them,” said Mohammad Ali, a student who lives nearby and went to the park after hearing the blast.

Kiran Tanveer, another local resident, said: “There was a deafening noise. I immediately thought it must be a blast. I went outside to see. I saw injured people being taken and everyone running in all directions. It was a complete chaos.”

Shortly after the explosion, the area was cordoned off by law-enforcement agencies as the army and ambulances also reached the scene.

Local police said they had found one leg and the head of the suicide bomber. A police spokesman said: “He was around 23 to 25 years old. Initial reports suggest at least 20kg of explosives were used and the suicide jacket contained nuts and bolts,” a police official told local media.

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A woman injured in the bomb blast is comforted by a relative at a hospital in Lahore. Photograph: KM Chuadary/AP

An emergency was declared in the city’s hospitals and an appeal for blood donations made. Many family members were still looking for their loved ones late into the night.

Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, cancelled a planned trip to the UK on Monday, where he was scheduled to stop over before heading for the US. A three-day mourning period was announced in Punjab province.

The chief of Pakistan’s army, General Raheel Sharif, who is also in charge of the country’s security policy, chaired a high-level meeting late on Sunday night, which was attended by the heads of the military and intelligence services.

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The playground at Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in Lahore Photograph: Geolocation

Many Christians have accused the government of not doing enough to protect them, saying politicians are quick to offer condolences after an attack but slow to take any real steps to improve security.

The US National Security Council spokesman, Ned Price, said: “The United States condemns in the strongest terms today’s appalling terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan. This cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park has killed dozens of innocent civilians and left scores injured.”

While Lahore was reeling from the attack, Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, witnessed riots erupting outside the parliament house. Supporters of Mumtaz Qadri, who was hanged last month for the murder of Punjab’s governor Salman Taseer in 2011, are staging a sit-in outside the parliament and have given the Pakistani government a list of demands, the foremost of which is the immediate execution of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who is on death row charged with blasphemy.

Qadri, Taseer’s bodyguard, shot him over the governor’s call to reform the blasphemy law and his support for Aasia Bibi.

Safdar Dawar contributed reporting on this from Peshawar

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  Scores killed in suicide blast aimed at Christians in Lahore children's park
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nirman

While the Pope washed and kissed the feet of Muslims before Good Friday, Muslim group "Jamaat-Ul-Ahrar" gave this gift of massacre to Christians in Lahore, Pakistan. Again some people will give dialogues, "it has nothing to do with religion", "because of *some* people you can blame all" and the same story of killings, massacres, brutal beheadings, rapes, blasts of Churches, temples will go on and on. Where is the voice? Where are the huge angry roadblock protests now? Doing something for humanity instead of lecturing the public is more important if we want to save our planet now.

nirman

At least 69 people have been killed and scores injured in an explosion at a public park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, officials say.

The park was crowded with families, some celebrating Easter. Many victims are said to be women and children.
Police told the BBC it appeared to be a suicide bomb. A Pakistan Taliban faction said it carried out the attack.
Pakistan's president has condemned the blast and the regional government has announced three days of mourning.

All the major hospitals in the area were put on an emergency footing after the blast early on Sunday evening.
The explosion appears to have been at the main gate to the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in an area where cars are usually left - and a short distance from the children's swings.

One eyewitness said there was chaos, with a stampede starting and children separated from their parents in the
rush to escape.

Men mourn the death of their relatives after a blast outside a public park in Lahore 27/03/2016Image copyrightReuters
Image caption

Dozens of ambulances raced to Gulshan-e-Iqbal park but for many it was too late
Relatives move an injured bomb blast victim to a hospital after a bomb blast in Lahore 27/03/2016Image copyrightAFP
Image caption

Large numbers of people have been injured, and many are said to be in a serious condition
Pakistani women mourn the death of relatives after the Lahore blast 27/03/2016Image copyrightAFP
Image caption
Many families had gone to the park

Another man told Pakistan's Geo TV station he was heading towards a fairground ride with his wife and two children when he heard a huge bang and all four of them were thrown to the floor.
Hasan Imran, 30, a local resident who had gone to the park for a walk told Reuters: "When the blast occurred, the flames were so high they reached above the trees and I saw bodies flying in the air."
The agency also reported that the army was called in to control crowds outside the park.
According to Lahore's deputy commissioner, Mohammad Usman, the number of injured was 193.
Facebook has activated its feature for people in Lahore to mark themselves as safe, as news of the blast spread.
Lahore is the capital of Punjab, Pakistan's largest and wealthiest province and the political powerbase of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Pakistan Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar told local and Western media it was behind the attack.
"We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter," spokesperson Ehansullah Ehsan told Pakistan's Express Tribune.
Pakistan has suffered regular incidents of Taliban-related violence, sectarian strife and criminal gang activity.
Meanwhile in the capital, Islamabad, police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters who marched in support of Islamist gunman Mumtaz Qadri, whom they see as a religious hero.
Qadri was hanged last month for the murder of Punjab governor Salman Taseer five years ago.
Mr Taseer had defended a Christian woman jailed on blasphemy charges.

jetrofa

so kena hashtag #Prayforpakistan la kan..

adaka bendera pakistan menghiasi bandaraya2 utama donia lepas ni

p/s: 2 hri lepas remaja 17 tahun letupkan diri kat grandstand during football match di Iraq...sendu ja news coverage
.30 mati...

Bedah.Cun

Ade satu lagi modal, Kristian pun brutal massacre orang Islam kat Madrid ke Kardoba tue

barfi

Takziah.....

AbukRokok

jetrofa replied at 28-3-2016 09:43 AM
so kena hashtag #Prayforpakistan la kan..

adaka bendera pakistan menghiasi bandaraya2 utama donia ...

malas nak tepek ummah bukan amik tau pun
mereka sdri main bola dgn budak2 kecik...pergi bom org ramai tgh tgk bola sakai  

devilito2

takziah ....

-electrifying-

skrg ni org men agama je... ltup sana ltup sini, claim agama penyebab...
em... bila la nk hbs sengketa2 antara agama ni

FOTHER-MUCKER

Sebab itulah barat nak perangi teroris ni. Mereka tersangat merbahaya dan bercita cita nak menakluki setiap benua dan Jika tidak diperangi dari sekarang...adakah anda mahu hidup di bawah pemerintahan teroris?

kerunai

tahun penuh kemalangan ...

jetrofa

AbukRokok replied at 28-3-2016 10:00 AM
malas nak tepek ummah bukan amik tau pun
mereka sdri main bola dgn budak2 kecik...pergi bom org r ...

Mujur FIFA kondem..

FIFA chief says "schocked" by Iraq pitch bombingFIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed shock and sadness Saturday at a suicide attack that ripped through a trophy ceremony after a local football tournament in Iraq, killing 32 people.
"I'm shocked and terribly saddened to have learnt about the awful tragedy which occurred yesterday at a football game," Infantino said in a statement.
The bomber detonated his suicide vest late Friday afternoon as local officials were handing trophies to the players after a tournament in the Iraqi village of Al-Asriya, which lies near Iskandariyah, a town about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Baghdad.
The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, killed 32 people -- nearly half of them boys aged 10 to 16 -- and injured 84 others.
Infantino, who took over as FIFA leader in February, stressed that "around the world, football unites people."
"It is a very sad day when people going to a match together become the victims of such violence," he said.
"On behalf of FIFA and the global football community, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the victims' families," Infantino said.
"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy and all our football friends in Iraq," he added.
nl/ak
Copyright 2016 Agence France-Presse

pyropura

..Pakistan really is a FAILED STATE...

mepusembilan

pyropura replied at 28-3-2016 03:38 PM
..Pakistan really is a FAILED STATE...

dan malaysia

Rose1982

Nyawa manusia dah mcm tiada harga...

Bedah.Cun

mepusembilan replied at 27-3-2016 07:42 PM
dan malaysia

Dan Indon pula setaraf sama Nigeria

Skuau

"Aku cium kaki ekau,ekau bom aku pulok"???- pop:

irwansuhadi

yang pastinya bombing akan berterusan mungkin sehingga bulan ramadhan...
masa bulan ramadhan, puak2 western lak bersatu hati untuk menyerang puak2 pengebom nih pulak mungkin sehingga zulkaedah...