3 killed in Pakistan blast

THREE people were killed, while 26 were injured in a blast in the Pakistani city of Lahore; six of the injured are in critical condition, police sources told Sputnik yesterday.

The incident occurred in the Johar Town area, close to the residence of Hafiz Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist who is a co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah militant groups.

Lahore Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riaz Malik told Samaa TV that the injured include one police official, women and children.

The cause of the explosion remains unclear. Lahore Police Chief Ghulam Mehmood Dogar told reporters the incident appeared to be a bomb blast and an investigation was under way.

According to local medias, it could have been a gas pipeline explosion or an improvised explosive device blast.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Inam Ghani said the counter-terrorism department is involved in the investigation. A witness said in a video obtained by Sputnik that she saw a suspicious man who parked a motorcycle near the house which later exploded.