2 Dead, 26 Injured in Explosion in Northeastern Pakistan... "Suspected Terrorism"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 20th (local time), an explosion suspected to be a terrorist attack occurred in northeastern Pakistan, resulting in at least 2 deaths and 26 injuries, according to AP News and others.

According to reports, the explosion took place in the afternoon on a street densely packed with shops in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province in the northeast and Pakistan's second-largest city. The exact cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, but the possibility of a terrorist attack has not been ruled out.

Local police stated that the injured were transported to nearby hospitals, with some in critical condition. Videos and news posted on social networking services (SNS) show that the explosion occurred in a crowded market, igniting motorcycles and capturing scenes of injured people crying out for help.

In Pakistan, terrorist attacks are often carried out by anti-government extremist groups such as the Pakistan Taliban (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), which leads separatist movements. Although the TTP is named Taliban, it is a separate organization from the Taliban that took control of Afghanistan last year.

Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, issued a statement after the explosion, requesting the local government to provide the best possible medical facilities for the injured.