New Delhi: The death toll in the deadly bomb blast at Wagah in Pakistan rose to 65 on Monday which includes personnel of the Pakistan rangers and a child. Nearly 200 others were injured in the suicide bombing on Sunday near the exit gates of the Wagah border car parking, minutes after the popular flag-lowering ceremony at the main Indo-Pak land border crossing.
Meanwhile, Beating Retreat at Wagah has been cancelled for three days on request from Pakistan.
Dawn News reported that at least 25 kilos of explosives may have been used in the attack. Reports added that there was heavy security in the area which the bomber managed to breach.
Inspector General Police of Punjab Police Mushtaq Sukhera said, "It appears that he (the bomber) is a young man of 20-25 years. At least 15 to 20 kilograms explosives have been used in the blast, showing some of the explosives was in his suicide jacket and remaining he might have carried."
The attack came ahead of the Shia holy day of Muharram and tight security was in place.
One of the eye-witnesses said, "I had a car. I was standing there. There was a huge blast and my leg got injured. They admitted me to the hospital."
Punjab Rangers Director General Khan Tahir Javed Khan said that investigations are underway. "This was a suicide blast. The suicide bomber had wanted to penetrate inside the venue but he could not do so. Half an hour after the parade ended, the blast happened outside the security zone. At that time people going out of the venue were hit in the blast. It's too early to say who caused the blast. We are investigating."
At least three terror groups have claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Qaeda affiliated militant group Jandullah, which was behind a suicide bombing that killed at least 78 Christians at a church in Peshawar in September 2013, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The spokesman of the splinter group of the Tehreek-i- Taliban Pakistan (TTP)Ahmed Marwat said the attack was a reaction to Pakistani military's operation Zarb-i-Azb and Waziristan operation against insurgents.
But another militant faction Jamat-ul-Ahrar, which broke away from the main TTP leadership in September, rubbished the claim and said they were behind the blast.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed "grief and sorrow" and condemned the blast. He ordered authorities to provide best medical assistance to the injured.
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif expressed the government's resolve to fight terrorism in the country. In a statement, he said the terrorists cannot dent the resolve of the nation to fight terrorism, Radio Pakistan reported.
The government has also announced Rs 500,000 to the kin of those killed and Rs 75,000 for the kin of those injured. Imdad Husain, an eyewitness, told reporters that he was returning after watching the parade ceremony when he heard a bang near the Wagah border market.
"I fell unconscious. When I gained consciousness there had been complete darkness. Many injured and I cried for help lying on the road. After 15 minutes some rescue men came towards me and shifted me to the Ghurki Hospital, a border area health facility," he said.
Emergency has been declared at all hospitals in Lahore. "The death toll may rise as the condition of some seven or so patients is still critical. We are trying our best to safe these patients including a four-year-old girl," senior doctor at Ghurki hospital Khurram Shahzad said.
Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122 spokesman Jam Sajjad said that he feared rise in the death toll.
"We have shifted about 200 injured in different hospitals of Lahore," he said. He said the condition of over a dozen is critical.
In India, the Home Ministry has put the Border Security Force on high alert. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has condemned the attack and called it "dastardly act of terrorism".
Indian security expert retired Wing Commander Praful Bakshi said, "We all must understand that Pakistan, at the moment is reaping the same fruit what they sowed. You see they gave birth to this system to carry out in India the terrorist activities. Now, they are suffering the same malady; they are suffering what they gave birth to."
(With additional information from PTI)
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