Blast targeting police checkpoint kills 9 in Pakistan’s Lahore

An explosion targeting a police checkpoint in the Pakistani city of Lahore has killed at least nine people and injured 24 others.

According to police, the blast targeted the checkpoint near one of the gates of the Data Darbar shrine in Lahore, Punjab Province, on Wednesday.

“Police was the prime target in this attack. We are collecting forensic evidences to ascertain the nature of the blast. This attack has left nine dead and 24 injured,” said Ashfaq Khan, the deputy inspector general of police operations in Lahore.

The grand Data Darbar shrine is a frequently visited place of worship.

The blast near the shrine took place one the second day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

The Pakistani Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Another main shrine, the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan, Sindh Province, was the target of a bombing attack in February 2017 that killed over 70 people.