Data Darbar Suicide Bomber Identified As Teenager

(@mahnoorsheikh03)

Data Darbar suicide bomber identified as teenager

The suicide bomber has been identified as Rafiq. He was aged around 14 to 16 years.

Lahore (Pakistan Point News – 8th May, 2019) The suicide bomber of Data Darbar blast, that claimed eight lives on Wednesday, has been identified.

According to details, the suicide bomber was aged around 14 to 16 years. He had come to Data Darbar from an adjacent street.

The explosive material he used was locally made. He had ball bearings on his jacket.

The suicide bomber has been identified with the help of safe city cameras. The footage of the suicide bomber has been provided to Counter Terrorism Department and other investigation agencies.

The body parts of the bomber have been collected. Rafiq reportedly blew himself up after targeting the police van.

At least nine people, including five police officials were killed while 25 others were injured in a terrorist blast outside the Data Darbar shrine at Lahore on Wednesday.

The blast occurred at 8:45 am on Wednesday morning near police mobile deployed at gate 2 of Data Darbar Shrine. The police van was targeted in the blast.

Five police officials and three citizens were martyred during the attack, however, later the number reached nine.

All the injured were shifted to nearby Mayo hospital for first aid.

According to Rescue officials, 24 injured people were rushed to nearby local hospital out of them 9 were in critical condition.

Punjab IG Arif Nawaz Khan said that 7 to 8 kilo explosive material was used in the blast and police was targeted.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Khan Buzdar said the government did not receive any specific security threats regarding the Data Darbar suicide attack.

Talking to media men, he said the information on different threats was a routine but no specific threat regarding Data Darbar was received by the law enforcement or intelligence agencies.

The CM rejected the speculation that police did not reach the incident's site on time, adding the police responded immediately with valour.

To another question, he said the culprits would be traced soon and apprehended by the police.

The CM said he had visited the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) headquarters after the incident and himself monitored the whole operation.

He also announced financial compensation for the victims of the incident.

Mahnoor Sheikh

The writer is News Editor, Pakistan Point. She has graduated in Mass Communication and has worked in various media houses