Suspect in Lahore blast arrested from airport by intelligence agencies

LAHORE: A man has been arrested by intelligence agencies on the suspicion of being involved in Lahore's Johar Town blast, one which claimed three lives and left at least 24 people injured. 

According to the police, the man was flying to Karachi but he was asked to get off the plane minutes before take-off. The suspect has been shifted to an undisclosed location for further investigation.

On the other hand, the car which was used to carry out the bomb blast has also been identified by the police. It turned out that it was a stolen car which had been snatched in 2010. A first information report (FIR) related to the theft of the vehicle had been registered at a police station in Gujranwala.  

Per sources, police further revealed that the car carrying explosives possibly entered Lahore via the motorway. When the vehicle was searched at the time of entering the city, there were no explosives found at that time.

A probe related to when the explosives were loaded onto the vehicle is underway, sources said.

Three killed, 24 injured 

 Three persons died, while at least 24 people were left wounded after an explosion occurred in a house in Lahore's Johar Town area.

Witnesses say that the glass windows of nearby houses and buildings have been shattered. One of the buildings has been severely damaged and some vehicles parked at the site of the blast have also been affected.

Hospital officials say nearly two dozens people sustained injuries and have been shifted to Lahore's Jinnah Hospital via private cars and auto-rickshaws.

The sound of the blast was so loud that it was heard in faraway areas. However, the nature of the blast has not been ascertained yet. An eyewitness told Geo News that an unidentified individual parked a motorcycle near the house which later exploded.

Police have cordoned off the area for further investigation while traffic has been redirected.

Explosion aimed at a high-value target

Inspector General Punjab Inam Ghani has said that police had been targeted in the attack. He advised the people to not listen to rumours related to the blast.

The IGP told the media that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) is probing the incident and a detailed report will be shared about the nature of the blast and the material used in it.

When asked about a high-value target near the crime scene, Ghani said had there been no police post, the vehicle could have reached it.

"You should be thankful to the police," he said.

He, however, did not share any additional information about the high-value target in the area.