By Xinhua
Islamabad : As many as 24 people were killed and 170 injured in twin suicide bombing attacks in eastern Pakistan Tuesday, the Pakistani Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The first blast took place in the premises of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) office in Lahore, capital of Punjab province, the statement released at the weekly news briefing here said.
“According to initial reports a suicide bomber exploded his explosives-laden vehicle near the reception office of the FIA building, killing 21 innocent people and injuring another 167,” said the statement.
A total of 12 personnel including an inspector of the FIA were among the dead, said the statement.
Local media reports said that 11 human smugglers were being questioned in the FIA office at the time of the blast. Nobody had any clue to their whereabouts afterwards.
About the same time a suicide bomber rammed his pickup truck against the gate of a house in Model Town in Lahore, killing three, two children among them, and injuring three others, according to the statement.
“Additional measures are being taken to beef up security for public places, government installations and likely targets of terrorist elements,” the statement said.
“This threat of terrorism has to be eliminated to ensure stability and consolidation of the new era of democratic rule,” it added.