Explosion hit near police headquarters, Lahore (image AFP)
Police in both Lahore, Pakistan and Logar, Afghanistan were hit hard today in attacks which left dead in 2 locations and a number of injured.
A blast went off outside a shopping plaza close to Police Lines (police headquarters) in Qila Gujar Singh area of Lahore on Tuesday. Senior police official Haider Ashraf told Al Jazeera, “a suicide bomber approached the entrance of the building and on being denied entry, detonated his explosives.” The explosion was strong enough to turn vehicles into flames and shatter nearby windows showering the streets with glass. Reports of numbers killed varied between 4 and 8 with dozens injured including a woman and child. Casualties were taken to Mayo and Ganga Ram hospitals and calls went out on Twitter for blood donors. Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan dispatched a team of 10 volunteers and 4 ambulances and carried out rescue and relief activities at the site. They also helped the injured get to hospital.
Blast set several cars alight
Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Jamaat -ul-Ahrar (TTP JA) carried out the attack and the following statement was received from Ehsanullah Ehsan, the official spokesperson for the group as follows,
“TTPJA Jamat- Ul -Ahrar accepts the responsibility of bomb blast in police lines lahore.We dedicate this operation to the shuhada who are being taken out of prisons and barbarically martyred or are hanged. We want to make it clear to the murtad rulers that we would revenge the blood of innocent Muslims and that they should wait for more such attacks. we would carry out these attacks till the day Islamic System that is, sharia is implemented across the land. INSHALLAH”
The issue of alleged torture and extra-judicial killing has repeatedly been raised by Taliban groups and was a major factor in the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) assault on Peshawar Army School, (PAS). This followed weeks of warnings that if this did not stop army and police would be hit. The problem has become so bad that lawyers are currently working on an anti-torture bill which is has been taken to parliament. There has also been a series of “revenge hangings by the Nawaz Sharif government in retaliation for the PAS attack.
Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, Chairman of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) tweeted, “I strongly condemn the terrorist attack outside Police Lines.
“the terrorist incident in Lahore is the result of Punjab government’s incompetence and negligence of police”.
Fauzia Kasuri, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said, “horrible news of another blast..this time in Lahore. We stand with Pak Army in their resolve to crush terror. Allah Kaamyabi ata karay.”
Afghanistan
Taliban attack police headquarters in Logar Province (image Warisboring.com)
Meanwhile at least 20 police were killed and 8 wounded in Logar, Afghanistan according to Provincial governor Niaz Mohamed Amiri, Al Jazeera reported,
“Din Mohammad Darwesh, a spokesman for the provincial governor of Logar province, said that Tuesday’s attack on the police headquarters in Logar was carried out by four suicide bombers.
He added said two of the attackers managed to enter the headquarters and two detonated the explosives on them in the kitchen and the dining room of the compound. The bombers were wearing police uniforms and used a police vehicle to enter the compound, he added.”
NBC reported, “Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack on his Twitter feed.”
Recently Islamic Emirate (Afghan Taliban) had complained of the brutal behaviour of Arbaki (local police) towards civilians, see,
“Afghanistan: The odd silence of the media against the brutalities of Arbakis (local police)”
Taliban spokesperson Abdulkahar Balkhi tweeted another spokesman today stating that, “foreign invaders & their ‘hirelings’ had allegedly burnt 200 shops & showroom with 22 vehicles in Malmand area Helmand on Monday”. No reason was given for this act of aggression.
Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad. She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.
Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog 