Pakistan: 8 Dead, 25 Injured After Suicide Bomber Strikes Counter-Terrorism Police Near Sufi Shrine In Lahore

In another terror attack near a Sufi shrine in Pakistan, a vehicle belonging to Elite Force, Punjab province’s counter-terrorism police, was struck by a suicide bomber while it was parked close to the Data Darbar shrine in Lahore, reports Dawn.

Five police personnel, as well as three civilians have lost their lives in the attack as per the initial death toll. 25 others are injured, out of whom eight are believed to be in a critical condition.

The site of the attack has been cordoned off, and all devotees have been evacuated from the shrine.

Authorities believe that around seven kilograms of explosives were used in the attack; an official probe is ongoing to determine other information about the attack.

Although Sufi shrines are a favourite target for radical Jihadists in Pakistan and elsewhere, it is unclear if the terrorist had initially intended to target devotees and changed his plans at the last moment to go for the police vehicle, or if the plan from the beginning had been to target policemen.