A Pakistani minister has been killed with 12 others in a suicide attack in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
The suicide attacker carried out explosion inside the political office of Punjab’s Home Minister Shuja Khanzada in Attock city of Punjab province.
The blast was so powerful that brought down the roof of Khanzada’s office and buried several people under its rubble.
Soon after the explosion rescue teams arrived at the site, pulled out eleven people from the debris and transported them to hospital for treatment. At least 15 people believed to be still under the rubble. Doctor Saeed, advisor to Pakistan’s Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif confirmed that Home Minister Shuja Khanzada has been killed in the attack.
Intelligence sources say 5-10 kilograms of explosive materials were used in the explosion. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but a preliminary report presented to Punjab’s Chief Minister by law enforcement agencies and IG Punjab states that Khanzada was targeted in retaliation for the killing Malik Ishaq, chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).
“The attack on Punjab home minister is in reaction to the killing of LeJ chief and a senior al Qaeda commander for Punjab last month,” an unnamed source quoted by Pakistan’s The Express Tribune as saying.
Malik Ishaq, his two sons and 10 other people belonging to LeJ were killed in a police encounter at the end of July.



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