- More than 50 people were killed and 150 more injured in the latest suicide bombing attack in Pakistan
- Authorities believe the attack targeted Christian families celebrating Easter Sunday at a park
- US President Obama condemned the attack and has sent condolences to the families affected
At least 56 people were killed in a suicide bombing in Pakistan on Sunday evening, March 27. Authorities believed the attack targeted Christian families celebrating Easter Sunday at a public park.
More than 150 more were injured in the explosions that ripped through the gates of the Gulshan Iqbal Park in the southwestern city of Lahore early evening Sunday. Most of the casualties are women and children, a police official told Reuters.
A number of witnesses recalled body parts strewn all over the place as injured women and children crying and screaming in panic. Chaos ensued as people scampered for safety while trying to flee the scene.
No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the recent attack in the predominantly Muslim country which is also beset by Taliban insurgency and Islamist group extremism.
All major hospitals in the area were placed under emergency status, expecting an influx of injured people over the next few hours.
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif immediately condemned the violence “in the strongest term possible”.
Lahore is the capital of Punjab, Pakistan’s largest and wealthiest province and is also Sharif’s political bailiwick.
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama condemned the attack in Pakistan and has sent his ‘deepest condolences’ to the families of those who were killed.
“This cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park has killed dozens of innocent civilians and left scores injured,” Obama said in a statement released through National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Ned Price.
“The United States stands with the people and Government of Pakistan at this difficult hour. We will continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region, as together we will be unyielding in our efforts to root out the scourge of terrorism,” the statement added.
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