The explosion took place in the late afternoon yesterday, after the flag lowering ceremony. The attacker was a young man about 30 years old, packed with 5 kg of explosives. 10 women and eight children were also among the dead. Condemnation from governments of the two countries.

Islamabad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The death toll from the suicide bombing that took place yesterday in Wagah (Lahore), a border crossing between Pakistan and India has risen to 61 people. More than 200 are injured and the toll could worsen in the coming hours.

The explosion occurred yesterday a few minutes after the end of the flag lowering ceremony, which is held every afternoon on the Pakistani side of the border and is a great tourist attraction for people living in the two nations. The Pakistani Taliban of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the act, but other militant groups - including Jundullah - are also claiming the attack.

Punjab police chief, Mushtaq Sukhera, says a suicide bomber, possibly between 18 and 20 years old, filled with 5 kg of explosives, blew himself up at about 6 pm near a restaurant, about 500 meters from the border point. The victims include 10 women, eight children and three members of the Pakistani security forces. Some of the wounded are in critical condition; 43 bodies have been identified so far, 18 others have yet to be named.

Tahir Khan, a member of the Pakistani Rangers (border guards, ed) said the bomber blew himself up about 500 meters from the place where the parade takes place, because "further on security measures are much more rigid" and he would not have passed them with explosives. In that case, he adds, "the devastation would have been far greater".

The Pakistani Taliban attack is in revenge for the  military operation in North Waziristan last June, which killed more than 1,200 people, and a response to the killing of Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone attack last year.

The Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have both expressed condemnation for the attack, which had been predicted  by Indian intelligence which spoke of "imminent attack" at the ceremony flag lowering ceremony.

The government launched peace talks with the Taliban in January, followed by the presentation last month of the first Code of Conduct on national security. The truce between the government and Taliban expired on April 16.

The Islamists have confirmed the intention to continue the negotiations, while not renouncing violence and attacks that have targeted even airports (Karachi) and aircraft during landing. Moreover, in the context of the talks, the Taliban demand the release of hundreds of prisoners, the army's withdrawal from the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and the introduction of Islamic law (sharia).

With a population of more than 180 million people (97 per cent Muslim), Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, the second largest Muslim nation after Indonesia. About 80 per cent of Muslims are Sunni, whilst Shias are 20 per cent. Hindus are 1.85 per cent, followed by Christians (1.6 per cent) and Sikhs (0.04 per cent).

Violence against ethnic and religious minorities is commonplace across the country, with Shia Muslims and Christians as the main target, with things getting worse.

 

• PAKISTAN
• -
• INDIA
• TALIBAN
• SUICIDE
• ATTACK
• BORDER
• CROSSING