Death toll in bomb blast near Sufi shrine in Pakistan's Lahore rises to nine, injures 26

Lahore: A bomb targeting security forces guarding a Sufi shrine in the city of Lahore killed nine and wounded 26 people. Geo News reported that the blast took place outside Data Darbar shrine in Lahore. A vehicle carrying personnel of elite Punjab Police was targetted, agencies reported citing sources. Citing state media, news agency AFP reported that 15 people were injured in the blast. According to initial reports, four people died in the blast while eight were injured. The number of injured later increased to 25, while the death toll rose to eight. 'An explosion close to a major Sufi shrine in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore caused several casualties on Wednesday', news agency Reuters quoted officials as saying. According to Dawn, the blast took place near Gate no 2 of the Data Darbar shrine. Data Darbar is one of the most visited shrines in the country. "There is no doubt it was an attack targeting police," Dawn quoted Punjab's IG Police as saying. While the devotees who were inside the shrine have been evacuated from the back door, entry to the shrine has now been restricted. "Police officers were the target of the blast and hundreds of people were inside the shrine when the blast took place," Ghazanfar Ali, Lahore city police chief was cited by AFP as saying. Dawn reported that the police have cordoned off the area and DIG operations Lahore Ashfaq Ahmed Khan is about to reach the hospital to visit those injured. Source: Times Now