LAHORE: Death toll in the Raiwind suicide blast reached 10 after another policeman succumbed to his wounds at the Lahore General Hospital on Thursday.

Head-Constable Mohammad Naeem was among seven of his colleagues who were shifted to the LGH shortly after the blast.

A father of five, Naeem was a resident of Bahawalnagar and working for the Lahore police. On the day of the incident, he was deputed at the Nisar check point along with his two dozen colleagues for the security of Tablighi congregation in Raiwind.

Police say TTP behind suicide attack

The doctors feared that the death toll is likely to increase as 11 more injured, including five police personnel, were critical at various hospitals of the city – seven in Jinnah Hospital and two in LGH.

The investigations carried out at a meeting of senior command of the Punjab police revealed that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (Fazalullah group) was behind the Raiwind incident, a senior official privy to the development told Dawn.

He said the same group had claimed suicide attack on police personnel on Ferozepur Road near Arfa Karim Tower on July 24, 2017, and another onslaught on the convoy of the sensitive agency on Bedian Road on April 4, the same year.

In the Ferozepur Road attack, over 26 people, including nine police personnel had lost their lives while the Bedian Road attack had claimed eight lives.

The official said the scientific analysis of the ball bearings and nails used in the explosive belt in Raiwind revealed that the same were found in the above-mentioned two terror acts.

The detectives had sufficient credible information that the commanders and some handlers of the TTP (Fazalullah group) had fled Afghanistan after completing their previous targets. There is a strong possibility that they again visit Pakistan to hit police personnel in Raiwind, he said.

Meanwhile, most of the injured/eyewitnesses were unaware about the nature of the terror attack as they were of the view that they had lost senses due to the intensity of the blast that suddenly occurred at the check post.

However, the police investigations confirmed that it was a suicide blast.

“We have collected body parts except head of the bomber from the crime scene,” Operations DIG Dr Haider Ashraf said.

He said the law-enforcement agencies were focussing on the handlers and facilitators of the attack.

Sundar Station House Officer Sheikh Asim told Dawn that he was standing at a very close range of the crime scene when the blast occurred.

“I am not sure how the blast occurred. I just lost my senses and fell down on the ground along with my many colleagues,” he said adding that he could recall many police officials lying in a pool of blood.

“Some of my colleagues dragged me to a police mobile van and rushed me to a hospital in Raiwind from where they later shifted me to the Jinnah Hospital,” the injured SHO said. He said he suffered multiple injuries to his lower abdomen and legs.

Mohammad Saeed, who also got multiple injuries, said he had come from Karachi to attend the congregation on March 11.

“I left the congregation venue to buy a cap for my young son and as soon as I came out of the venue, I heard sound of a powerful blast at the check post,” Saeed said.

He said for a moment he fell unconscious and when he regained consciousness he saw many police personnel lying on the ground and some of them almost dead.

“I saw blood on my legs and lower abdomen. When I realised that the blast had hit the police check post I asked a Jamaat colleague to help me to an ambulance,” he said adding his colleague, however, told him that the ambulances had been stopped at a distance fearing another attack.

After waiting for some time, his colleague dragged him to an ambulance which shifted him to a hospital in Raiwind from where he was referred to the Jinnah Hospital.

Abid Husain, a constable, said some of his colleagues were frisking the visitors with metal detectors before allowing them to enter the main congregation venue.

“I was deputed along with my [armed] colleagues some yards away from the post to give them a security cover,” he said adding that suddenly a powerful blast took place.

Its sound was so much horrific that he fell a few yards away from his duty point (Gate No 3).

Abid said he was working for the special security unit of the Lahore police. To a question, he said, he couldn’t recall as to what kind of the blast had occurred.

He said the Tablighi Markaz’s ambulance shifted him to the hospital from where he was transported to the Jinnah Hospital.

“We have total nine injured in our teaching hospital. Of them five policemen and two civilians are critical,” Jinnah Hospital MS Dr Sohail Saqlain said.

He said the condition of ASP Zubair Nazir Ahmad, who underwent a surgery, is also unpredictable due to some complications.

However, he is under-treatment at the intensive care unit. Dr Saqlain further said of the seven, two were under-treatment at the general intensive care unit, one each at the surgical and neuro ICUs.

The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has lodged an FIR against TTP after it claimed responsibility.

The FIR was lodged on the complaint of CTD City SHO Abid Baig who alleged that four unidentified men tried to enter the main venue of congregation and on stopping one of them blew himself up killing 10 people, including six policemen, and injuring 39 others.

Punjab IG retired Capt Arif Nawaz said on Thursday that total 10 people lost their lives while 39 others suffered injuries.

Talking to the media after offering funeral prayers for the deceased police officials, he said according to initial investigations suicide bomber had detonated himself at the police check post during the change of shift that was 500 meters away from the place of congregation.

“When police personnel intercepted him, he blew himself up and caused the death of six personnel and four civilians,” the IG said.

The ASP, SHOs and constables were among the 18 personnel who suffered wounds while the injured included 15 civilians, he said.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2018