LAHORE: At least 13 people, including two senior police officers, were killed and scores of others wounded in a suicide blast at Faisal Chowk near Punjab Assembly in Lahore on Monday, authorities say. DIG Traffic Police Captain (retd.) Ahmed Mubeen and Acting DIG Operations Zahid Ikram Gondal have been killed in the attack. Among the...

DIG Traffic Police Captain (retd.) Ahmed Mubeen and Acting DIG Operations Zahid Ikram Gondal have been killed in the attack. Among the injured are several policemen, women and media persons.

The death toll is feared to go up as some of those injured are in critical condition.

A sit-in was being staged by Punjab Medical Stores Association and Chemist and Druggist Association near Faisal Chowk, Mall Road when the blast occurred.

The two police officials were negotiating with protestors to end the sit-in and open the road for traffic.

Many vehicles parked near the blast site caught fire, triggering panic and chaos in the area. A DSNG of Aaj TV was badly damaged following the blast, injuring their cameraman and driver.

Many of those injured were rushed to nearby Mayor Hospital and remaining were taken to Ganga Ram Hospital.

Punjab IG Mushtaq Sukhera said that six policemen were among the victims.

"A banned terrorist outfit has claimed responsibility for the blast," Sukhera told SAMAA.

CCPO Lahore has confirmed that DIG Traffic Police Captain Mubeen and SSP Gondal have embraced martyrdom in the terrorist attack.

Admitting a security lapse, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said police failed to maintain a high level security due to massive participation of people in the protest sit-in.

"According to preliminary investigations, it was suicide attack," he said, adding that the two police officers have been killed in the line of duty.

SAMAA footage captured moments when a suspected suicide bomber can be seen blowing himself up near the DSNG of a TV channel near the protest.

An eyewitness told SAMAA that many bodies were lying scattered after the blast and there was heavy smoke in the area.

No group immediately claimed Monday's explosion, but the same faction of the Pakistani Taliban responsible for the Easter blast recently vowed it would continue carrying out attacks.

Social media users were quick to suggest the blast was meant to derail plans to hold the highly-anticipated final of the Pakistan Super League in Lahore.

The second year of the Twenty20 tournament is currently being held in the United Arab Emirates out of security fears, but after a military crackdown on extremism officials were confident enough to plan for the final to take place in the cricket-mad city.

The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) had already warned the provincial authorities of possible terrorist attack in Lahore.

According to a notice sent to Home Secretary Punjab, Provincial Police Officer and DG Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) on February 7, NACTA had directed to put the vital installations including important buildings, hospitals and schools under strict vigilance.

“Extreme vigilance and heightened security measures are suggested to avoid any untoward incident,” it said. -SAMAA