2019 Lahore bombing

2019 Lahore bombing
Part of Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Location	Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Date	8 May 2019; 08:44am
Attack type	Suicide bombing
Deaths	13
Injured	24
Perpetrators	Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
Motive	Terrorism Sectarian violence in Pakistan

The 2019 Lahore bombing was a suicide bomb attack on Wednesday 8 May 2019, one day after the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, outside Data Darbar in Lahore, Pakistan. CCTV footage of the blast showed that at 8:45 am, an explosion occurred outside Data Darbar’s second gate (The entrance for female visitors) (Bukhari). According to the Punjab chief minister's spokesperson, Shahbaz Gill- the suicide bomber- was a 15 year old boy (Imran). The boy came out of a nearby fruit shop, walked to a police van, and detonated the bomb. The blast immediately killed 6 police officers,4 civilians, and injured circa 26. Once the explosion registered, the area went into panic causing emergency response forces to be delayed due to the large number of visitors. This led to three more people dying after the explosion, one civilian and a police officer outside the Data Darbar from wounds, and one civilian while aid was being administered (Imran). Soon after an evacuation was finished, security forces swept across the nearby area to establish a perimeter around the site, setting up checkpoints and alerting hospitals and other shrines(Riaz). Officials released the following  statement: "Police were the prime target in this attack. We are collecting forensic evidence to ascertain the nature of the blast," said Ashfaq Khan, deputy inspector general of police operations in Lahore. After the perimeter had been set up, an initial probe taken by a heavy contingent of police, counter-terrorism units, and forensic officials showed that the bomb contained 7 kilograms of explosive material and was stored in the teenager’s jacket (Imran). The attack was claimed by the Hizbul Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, a movement that has been fighting the government for years. In a statement, the group said the attack targeted police and had been timed to avoid civilian casualties. However, police said a general security alert was in force but there had been no specific warning about a threat to the Data Darbar, which was protected by heavy layers of security(U.S Bureau of Counterterrorism).

Aftermath: The next day on Thursday May 9, 2019, police raided a building in Lahore’s Garhi Shahu area, arresting 4 suspects. Officials said one of the arrested suspects was the rickshaw driver who transported the suicide bomber to Data Darbar. Then, on Friday May 10, 2019, a joint investigation team (JIT) was founded by the provincial government to further probe the incident. The team was comprised of the following 5 members: Mr. Sahaib Ashraf, a representative of the Pakistani intelligence bureau, an ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) representative, a MI (Military Intelligence) representative, investigation officer Muhammud Khalid CTD (Counter Terrorism Department) Lahore(Tribune). Furthermore, many nearby countries released statements regarding the attack. For instance, Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: “We are deeply saddened to hear that a terror attack targeting a police checkpoint at the entrance of a Sufi shrine in Lahore, capital of Punjab Province of Pakistan, resulted in many losses of lives including security officers and left many others wounded. We condemn this heinous terrorist attack perpetrated at a religious site and wish Allah’s mercy upon those who lost their lives, speedy recovery to the wounded and convey our condolences to the friendly Government and the brotherly people of Pakistan.”

See also

• July 2010 Lahore bombings
• List of terrorist incidents in May 2019
• Terrorist incidents in Lahore since 2000

References

Bukhari, Mubasher. “Militant Bomb near Sufi Shrine Kills 10 in Pakistan’s Lahore.” Militant Bomb near Sufi Shrine Kills 10 in Pakistan’s Lahore, Reuters, 8 May 2019, www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1SE0C2.

“Country Reports on Terrorism 2019: Pakistan.” U.S. Department of State, BUREAU OF COUNTERTERRORISM, 15 Dec. 2019, www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2019/pakistan/.

Desk, Web. “CCTV Footage of Data Darbar Blast Obtained.” Thenews, The News International, 8 May 2019, www.thenews.com.pk/latest/468667-cctv-footage-of-data-darbar-blast-obtained.

Gabol , Imran. “5 Policemen Martyred in Explosion Targeting Elite Force Vehicle near Lahore’s Data Darbar.” DAWN.COM, Dawn, 8 May 2019, www.dawn.com/news/1481009/.

“JIT Formed to Investigate Data Darbar Blast.” The Express Tribune, Tribune, 10 May 2019, tribune.com.pk/story/1970076/1-/.

Riaz, Wasim. “Security Forces Arrest 4 from Lahore in Connection with Data Darbar Bombing.” DAWN.COM, Dawn, 10 May 2019, www.dawn.com/news/1481431.

Sevea, Iqbal  Singh. “Lahore Suicide Bombing Signals Emergence of a New Militant Organisation .” ISAS , ISAS, 13 May 2019, www.isas.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ISAS-Briefs-No.-659.pdf.