February 2017 Lahore suicide bombing
On 13 February 2017, a suicide bombing took place on the Mall Road in Lahore, Pakistan, where a group of chemists and pharmacists were holding a protest at Charing Cross in front of the Punjab provincial assembly. According to Punjab Police sources, 18 people were killed, including several police officials, and at least 87 were injured.
| 2017 Lahore suicide bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the War in North-West Pakistan | |
Charing Cross Charing Cross Charing Cross Location of the Charing Cross in Lahore, where the attack occurred. | |
| Location | Charing Cross, The Mall, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 31°33′32.4″N 74°19′26.4″E |
| Date | 13 February 2017 18:10 (UTC+05:00) |
| Target | Police officials |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
| Weapons | Explosive belt |
| Deaths | At least 18 (+1 bomber) |
| Injured | Over 90 |
| Victims | Zahid Gondal (SSP Operations, Punjab Police) Ahmed Mobin (DIG Traffic, Lahore) |
| Perpetrators | Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (claimed) |
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack. Local authorities cordoned off the site to begin investigations. According to Pakistani authorities, the attack was orchestrated from Afghanistan, where the militant group operates sanctuaries. On 23 February, Pakistani security forces killed the mastermind of the attack, Wajihullah, near the Afghan border following the launch of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.