Lahore: The death toll rose to 11 on Thursday in the powerful suicide blast outside one of Pakistan’s oldest and most revered Sufi shrines in Lahore as another policeman succumbed to his injuries, officials said. The attack, which occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was carried out by a teenage Taliban suicide bomber who blew himself up outside the densely-populated 11th century shrine on Wednesday. So far, 11 people, including six police commandos, have lost their lives, Geo News reported, adding that as many as 26 others have been injured. The powerful blast took place outside the Data Darbar shrine, the largest Sufi shrine in South Asia, where the elite police personnel were deployed for security. A CCTV footage showed that a teenage boy wearing black ‘shalwar kameez’ and a suicide vest came closer to the vehicle of elite force and blew himself up. “The suicide bomber was about 15 years old and made no suspected movement before blowing himself up,” Lahore police spokesperson Syed Mubashir told PTI on Wednesday. Also Read: Lahore Attack: 9 Killed in Bomb Blast Outside Data Darbar Sufi Shrine He said that two suspects have been taken into custody. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JeA), a breakaway faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack. Punjab Inspector General Police Arif Nawaz told reporters that it was a suicide attack and the target was the vehicle of the elite force that was stationed outside the shrine of Sufi saint Ali Hajvari popularly known as Data Darbar. The blast shattered the windows in nearby vehicles and buildings. Wednesday was the second day of Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Data Darbar area is thickly populated and the shrine attracts thousands of visitors every day. Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the attack and directed the Punjab government to provide all assistance to the injured and families of victims. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has ordered an inquiry. Educational institutions near the shrine have been closed for Thursday. The shrine is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. In 2010, the shrine was targeted in a suicide attack that killed more than 40 people. Since then, the area has been increasingly hemmed in by heavy security, with visitors forced to pass through several layers of screening before they can enter the complex.<doc-sep>A bomb exploded near a major Sufi shrine in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday, according to police. Hundreds of pilgrims were at the Data Darbar site as the country marks the holy month of Ramadan. What we know so far The bomb exploded near security forces guarding the shrine. Lahore's police chief said his officers were the intended target. At least eight people have been killed so far, a police official told a news conference. Among the dead are police officers, a security guard and a civilian. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility. Police vehicle targeted State TV showed pictures of badly-damaged patrol cars. "It was an attack on police that left several dead and dozens of policemen and civilians injured. The target was police," said Syed Mubashir Hussain, a spokesman for the Lahore police. Muhammad Farooq, a spokesman for the city's rescue services, said a rescue operation "is under way and we have moved 15 people to hospital." Police official Muhammad Kashif said the bombing "may have been a suicide attack." "This attack was carried out at a time when there were no civilians near the police," said Abdul Aziz Yousafzai, spokesman for the Hizbul Ahrar militant group, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistan's security situation: Authorities have stepped up the security measures since the country's worst terrorist attack killed more than 150 people at a school in Peshawar in 2014. However, extremist groups are still able to conduct deadly attacks. Lahore has witnessed several attacks in recent years, including a bomb targeting Christians celebrating Easter in 2016. More than 70 people were killed. Read more: Is Pakistan's war-ravaged northwestern region turning against the military? Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2007 - Twin blasts rock Karachi on former PM’s return Two bomb blasts struck former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s motorcade on October 18, 2007 in the southern port city of Karachi. Bhutto was returning to Pakistan after almost eight years. The attack left 139 people dead. Bhutto, the first democratically elected female head of an Islamic country, died in an attack two months later, on December 27 in the northern city of Rawalpindi. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2008 - Wah bombing The Wah bombing was a double suicide attack on the Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) in Wah on August 21, 2008. At least 64 people died in the attack, which remains to date the deadliest on a military site in Pakistan's history. A spokesman from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2008 - Insurgents target luxury hotel in the capital At least 60 people died and over 200 were injured when a truck filled with explosives detonated in front of the Marriot Hotel on September 20, 2008, in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Five foreign nationals were among the casualties, while another 15 were injured. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2009 - Peshawar bombing A car bomb was detonated in Mina Bazar (a market for women and children) in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. The bomb killed 125 people and injured more than 200 others. The Pakistani government put the blame on the Taliban, but both Taliban and al-Qaida denied involvement in the attack. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2009 - Market in Lahore targeted The December 2009 Lahore attacks were a series of two bomb blasts and a shooting which occurred in a crowded market in the country’s second largest city of Lahore on December 7. At least 66 people were killed. Most of the victims were women. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2010 - Suicide bomber targets volleyball match A suicide car bomb killed 101 people at a village volleyball game in the northwestern district of Bannu. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2010 - Lahore Massacre The May 2010 Lahore attacks also referred to as the Lahore Massacre occurred on May 28, 2010, during Friday prayers. 82 people were killed in simultaneous attacks against two mosques of the Ahmadi minority. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attacks. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2010 – Bomber targets market in tribal area A suicide bomber killed 105 people in a busy market in the northwestern tribal district of Mohmand. The suicide bombing occurred on July 9 in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The target of the attack was believed to be a meeting of tribal elders. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attacks. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2011 - Police training center in Charsadda attacked A double bombing occurred on May 13, 2011, in Shabqadar Fort in the Charsadda District of northwestern Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Two suicide bombers killed at least 98 people outside the police training center. At least 140 people were injured. The explosions occurred while cadets were getting into buses for a ten day leave after their training course. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2013 - Peshawar church bombing On September 22, 2013, a twin suicide attack took place at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan. It was the deadliest attack on the Christian minority in the country, killing 82 people. The TTP-linked Islamist group, Jundalah, claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2014 - Peshawar school massacre On December 16, 2014, seven gunmen affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) conducted a terrorist attack on the Army Public School in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. The militants opened fire on school staff and children, killing 154 people, including 132 school children. This was the deadliest terrorist attack ever to occur in the country. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2015 – Gunmen target bus in Karachi Eight gunmen attacked a bus on May 13, 2015, in Safoora Goth, in Karachi, Pakistan. The shooting left at least 46 people dead. All of the victims were from the Ismaili Shia Muslim minority. Banned militant group Jundallah claimed responsibility for the shooting. Also, pamphlets supporting the Islamic State terrorist group, with whom Jundallah claims allegiance, were found at the crime scene. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2016 – Lahore park bombing On March 27, 2016, at least 75 people were killed in a suicide bombing that hit one of the largest parks in Lahore. The attack targeted Christians who were celebrating Easter. Fourteen of the dead were identified as Christians, while the rest were Muslims. The majority of victims were women and children. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a group affiliated with the TTP, claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan: A decade of deadly terrorist attacks 2016 – Quetta hospital bombing On August 8, 2016, terrorists targeted the Government Hospital of Quetta in Pakistan with a suicide bombing and shooting that resulted in the death of over 70 People. The fatalities were mainly lawyers who had assembled at the hospital where the body of fellow attorney, Bilal Anwar Kasi, president of the Balochistan Bar Association, was brought after he was shot dead by an unknown gunman. Author: Aasim Saleem What is the Data Darbar? Built in the 11th century, the Data Darbar is the burial site of the saint Ali Hajveri and is one of the largest Sufi shrines in South Asia. Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the site each spring on the anniversary of the saint's death. It was hit by a suicide attack in 2010 that left over 40 people dead. Since then, it has had a heavy security presence. Why was the shrine targeted? Sufism is a mystical form of Islam. Its followers have frequently been targeted by militants, who view rituals at the graves of Muslim saints as "un-Islamic." rt/rc (AFP, Reuters, AP) Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - A bomb targeting Pakistani police outside a major Sufi shrine in the city of Lahore on Wednesday killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 20, officials said. The blast, a day after the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, went off at a police checkpoint near the Data Darbar, one of the largest Muslim shrines in South Asia, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year. “Police was the prime target in this attack. We are collecting forensic evidences to ascertain the nature of the blast,” said Ashfaq Khan, deputy inspector general of police operations in Lahore. A police spokesman said the death toll rose to 10, six of them civilians and four police, after a police officer died of his wounds. Officials earlier said eight police had died. At least 23 people were wounded. Muhammad Farooq, a spokesman for the city’s rescue services, said at least seven of the wounded were in critical condition. Police set up checkpoints on main roads leading to the shrine and hospitals were placed on alert, officials said. The attack was claimed by the Hizbul Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, a movement that has been fighting the government for years. In a statement, the group said the attack targeted police and had been timed to avoid civilian casualties. Slideshow ( 6 images ) “This attack was carried out at a time when there were no civilians near the police,” said Abdul Aziz Yousafzai, a spokesman for the militant group. Prime Minister Imran Khan issued a statement condemning the attack and asking the provincial government to help the victims. Sufis, who follow a mystical form of Islam that has been practised in South Asia for centuries, have been regularly attacked by hardline Sunni Muslim militants in the past. In 2010, two suicide bombers struck the Data Darbar shrine killing 42 people and wounding 175, in an attack officials said was carried out by the Pakistani Taliban. Militant violence has since declined sharply in Pakistan after a sustained crackdown following the country’s deadliest attack in 2014, which killed more than 150 people, many children, at a school in the western city of Peshawar. Since an attack in a Lahore park targeting Christians celebrating Easter in 2016 killed more than 70 people, Pakistan’s second largest city has been largely quiet although an attack last year killed nine people. Slideshow ( 6 images ) However, officials warned that Wednesday’s blast showed the need for vigilance during Ramadan. “People should remain aware of their surroundings when going to pray,” said a Punjab provincial minister, Mian Aslam. Police said a general security alert was in force but there had been no specific warning about a threat to the Data Darbar, which protected by heavy layers of security. The complex contains the shrine of Syed Ali bin-Osman Al-Hajvery, widely known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, an 11th century Sufi preacher originally from Ghazni in what is now Afghanistan.<doc-sep>
A bomb blast, targeted at security forces guarding the Data Darbar Sufi Shrine in Pakistan's Lahore district, has killed at least eight persons, including five police officials, media reports have said. At least 10 persons, including five police personnel, were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a major Sufi shrine in Pakistan's Lahore on Wednesday as the country marks the fasting month of Ramzan, officials said. It has been claimed by the Hizbul Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban. The bomb detonated at 08.45 am (09.15 am IST) outside the gate number 2 of the shrine Data Darbar shrine, targeting a van carrying the Elite Force of Punjab Police, Geo TV quoted Deputy Inspector General, Lahore Police as saying. Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the loss of lives in the attack, expressing grief and condoling with the victims’ families for their loss. Local channel Geo News further said that at least 25 people were being treated for injuries, some of whom were grievously injured. The condition of four policemen is stated to be critical. Preliminary investigation suggested that the blast could have been carried out by a suicide bomber with the intention to target the police force. The bomb contained seven kilograms of explosive material, Dawn reported. Punjab Law Minister Basharat Raja said that the death toll may rise as some of the injured's condition is critical. "We condemn this cowardly act," he said and also confirmed it was suicide attack. Mayo Hospital Medical Superintendent Yar Muhammad put the death toll to nine. "We have received nine persons, including policemen dead. The condition of six injured is critical and doctors are trying their best to save their lives," he said. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz told Dawn that the police was almost certain the target of attack were security personnel because "the attacker could have caused more damage because of the direction he had approached from, but he made a beeline for the police car stationed in the area for protection of the shrine." Wednesday is the second day in the holy month of Ramzan and hundreds of devotees were present in and around the structure. The blast comes at a time when Sufi Islam has been under threat in Sunni-dominated Pakistan for last two decades and there have been several deadly attacks on Sufi shrines across the country. Wednesday's attack comes days after Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan inaugurated a dedicated university to study Sufism in Jhelum district of Punjab province. The facility, known as Al-Qadir University, is named after Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, an 11th century Sunni Muslim preacher, orator, mystic, theologian and founder of the Qadiriyya order of Sufism. The Data Darbar shrine, one of the largest Sufi shrines in South Asia that dates back to the 11th century, has been targeted previously, in a 2010 suicide attack that killed more than 40 people. The shrine, which is the burial site of saint Ali Hajveri, has been under heavy security cover since then. In October 2017, at least 18 people were killed in a suicide attack on a Sufi Muslim shrine in Pakistan's southwestern province of Baluchistan. Later, Islamic State said it was behind the attack. In February of the same year, at least 80 people were killed in another attack on a shrine in Sehwan in southern Sindh province. This assault too was later claimed by the so-called Islamic State.