Suicide attack at Pakistan police station leaves 23 dead, several injured
Lahore, December 12: Tragedy struck in northwest Pakistan as a suicide attack rocked a police station, leaving a grim toll of 23 individuals dead and 28 others wounded. Allegedly orchestrated by suicide bombers, the attack resulted in the collapse of three rooms, intensifying the rescue efforts to retrieve victims from the debris. Concerns lingered over the potential for the casualty count to escalate even further, as reported by AFP.
Amid the chaos, the circumstances surrounding the victims' identities added complexity to the situation. "Many of them were killed while they were sleeping and in civilian clothes so we are still determining if they are all military personnel," shared a source.
This appalling incident unfolded in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, adjacent to Afghanistan, where Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, a recently emerged extremist group, claimed responsibility for the heinous act. According to Reuters, militants initiated the assault by ramming an explosive-laden vehicle into the police station's main gate before engaging in gunfire with local authorities. The ferocity of the attack left the region reeling from the brazenness of the assault.
Tragically, this province had recently suffered another devastating attack when a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in Peshawar in January, claiming the lives of at least 101 individuals. In a bid to contain the situation, reports from ARY News indicated that the police had managed to neutralise two terrorists amidst the intense gun battle that ensued following the initial attack.
- With inputs from agencies
