By IANS
Lahore : At least 20 people, mostly policemen, were killed and scores injured here Thursday when a powerful blast rocked the high court building near the busy Mall Road area, Pakistan’s second major terror attack in less than two weeks.
Television channels reported that the toll could go up. People could be seen lying motionless on the street; mangled cars and blood lay spattered around the blast site.
Geo TV reported that iron bullets had been recovered from the blast scene and the blast seemed to have been planted in a motorcycle with number LRM-988. An injured man was removed from the motorcycle wreckage and shifted to hospital.
Police sources told the channel that the blast occurred when police officials tried to stop the motorbike rider who blew up himself.
It quoted Lahore Senior Superintendent of Police Aftab Cheema as saying that explosion was a suicide bomb attack targeting policemen.
The police immediately blocked all roads leading to the building.
The deafening explosion took place at the main gate of the Lahore High Court building at GPO Chowk while the court was in session. After the session, the lawyers were supposed to take out the rally against President Pervez Musharraf, reported Online news agency.
On Dec 27, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in the garrison town of Rawalpindi in a suicide bomb attack soon after addressing an election rally.