Wagah bomb blast in pictures

Around 50 people, including women and children, were killed in a suicide bomb attack at the Wagah checkpoint near Lahore along the India-Pakistan border on Sunday evening. A man entered the security perimeter of the checkpoint and blew himself up when stopped by soldiers of the Pakistani Rangers paramilitary force, said Punjab police chief Mushtaq Sukhera.

Around 50 people, including women and children, were killed in a suicide bomb attack at the Wagah checkpoint near Lahore along the India-Pakistan border on Sunday evening. A man entered the security perimeter of the checkpoint and blew himself up when stopped by soldiers of the Pakistani Rangers paramilitary force, said Punjab police chief Mushtaq Sukhera.

Here are a few pictures of the deadly attack.

HT Image

Pakistani relatives gather around the bodies of blast victims after a suicide bomb attack near the Wagah border on Sunday. A suicide bomber killed at least 45 people at the main Pakistan-India border crossing, the blast tearing through crowds of spectators leaving after the colourful daily ceremony to close the frontier. AFP Photo





A police official in Pakistan said that a suspected 18-year-old suicide bomber blew up his explosive jacket around 5.50 pm ( PKT) in a crowd of people who were returning after witnessing a flag-lowering ceremony at the international border with India, Xinhua reported. Photo Courtesy AFP







Pakistani relatives gather around the bodies of blast victims after a suicide bomb attack near Wagah broder on Sunday. AFP Photo





The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a response to the Pakistani army's actions against their positions in tribal areas straddling Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. AFP Photo





The bomb went off at 6:12 pm, nearly 500 metres away from the Indian border. AFP Photo







"We were already alert in this area as we have received some inputs some time back that this area could be targeted. Now that the blast has occurred, we have alerted our formations along this frontier," said BSF chief DK Pathak after the attack. AFP Photo

"Our side is safe. We are alert, have increased our security, we are in constant touch with district officials and state police," BSG IG Ashok Kumar had said after the incident. AFP Photo

Border Security Force (BSF) troopers were put on high alert along the India-Pakistan international border on Sunday evening after the massive blast. Sameer Sehgal/HT







No beating retreat ceremony would take place at the Wagah border for 3 days from tomorrow. Sameer Sehgal/HT