A large bomb blast ripped through a protest rally in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Monday, killing at least 11 people and wounding nearly 60 in an attack claimed by a breakaway Taliban faction.
The blast occurred when a man on a motorcycle rammed into the crowd of hundreds of pharmacists, who were protesting new amendments to a law governing drug sales, local police official Zaheer Abbas said. He added that two senior police officers, including a former provincial counterterrorism chief, were among those killed.
Sameer Ahmad, the Lahore deputy commissioner, said at least 11 people were killed and 58 wounded.
A Taliban splinter group called Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the attack in a text message, saying it was revenge for Pakistani military operations against Islamic militants in tribal regions along the Afghan border.
Source: AP.com
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