Police and government officers report a suicide bomber detonated explosives in eastern Pakistan on Sunday, near the country's border with India. At least 54 were killed.
According to the AP, the explosion occurred while hundreds were returning from a military parade—an event the Pakistani and the Indian militaries hold daily on their respective sides of the border—at the Wagah border crossing. CNN reports the suicide bomber was a male between the ages of 18 and 20.
Provincial police chief Mushtaq Sukhera said over 100 people were injured, several of the critically, meaning the death toll will almost certainly rise. From the AP:
Another Lahore officer, Haider Ashraf, said some paramilitary troops were among the dead and wounded. The paramilitary forces' provincial Director General Tahir Javed said three soldiers died.
Dr. Khurram Shahzad at private Ghurki Trust hospital said that there were 10 women and seven children among the dead, and eight members of a single family. He said several of them had multiple critical wounds.
According to the AP, officers are unsure of what the target could have been, but Sukhera notes police had intelligence reports that said there could be a bombing in the city. Paramilitary forces were prepared, but CNN reports larger-than-expected crowds led to gaps in security checks.
[image via AP]
