The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack which wrought carnage near the Lahore Technology Park in the centre of the city. Police deployed to clear street vendors from the area had been targeted, a police official said.
"We suspect that he (the suicide bomber) came on a motorcycle and he rammed it into a police checkpoint," Lahore police operations chief Haider Ashraf told Reuters.
Rescue workers shifted the wounded to hospital and police officers cordoned off the bomb site as army troops also arrived at the scene.
"The death toll we have now is 25 dead and 52 are wounded," said Jam Sajjad Hussain, spokesman for the Rescue 1122 service.
A wounded man sitting on the roadside was shown crying in pain on television amidst cars and motorcycles mangled by the blast.
The bombing was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, in a message sent to the media by spokesman Muhammad Khurassani. The Pakistani Taliban are loosely allied with Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents but focus their attacks on the Pakistani government.
Bomb blasts by militants are common in Pakistan, especially in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, but attacks in Lahore have become less frequent in recent years.
Haider Ashraf, deputy inspector general of Punjab police, said the blast was a suicide attack and "police were the target".
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the majority of those killed and wounded were police and warned the death toll could rise.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast in a statement and directed medical efforts for those injured.
In early April, a suicide attack on an army census team that killed at least six people and wounded 18 in Lahore was also claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.
After a series of attacks in February, including two in Lahore that killed over 20 people, Pakistan's powerful military began a nationwide crackdown on militants.
Additional reporting by Saud Mehsud; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Nick Macfie and Richard Balmforth
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both incredibly successful soccer players, and they have each won a large number of trophies and awards throughout their careers.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are both considered to be among the best soccer players in the world. Both players have had highly successful careers.
Al-Nassr FC is a professional football club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The club was founded in 1955 and has won several domestic and international titles.
Vivo sub-brand iQOO has launched the company’s latest 5G smartphone- iQOO Z1x 5G in China on July 9, 2020.
This episode describes. making of magnets, how to they working on it. Video mad by discovery uk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Israeli military’s aerial operations in the Syrian airspace are in flagrant violation of the incumbent Damascus government’s sovereignty as tensions are simmering between Moscow and Tel Aviv over the downing of the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft in the western Syrian province of Latakia.
The permanent residency card will grant them the same access to education and healthcare in government institutions as Qatari nationals.
According to the latest leak, Samsung Galaxy A91 may launch in India at the end of this year.
Xiaomi India has just unveiled it's latest flagship killer- Xiaomi Mi 10 5G smartphone in India.
Honor has just launched the Honor 9A smartphone for the global markets and the price starts from €149.90 (US$ 169.6 / Rs. 12,810). Read on to know more.
