Explosion in Lahore kills nine

At least nine people were killed in an explosion in a Lahore market on Monday, the media reported.

Senior police official Imran Awan said the bodies had been shifted to a hospital and some 15 others, including policeman, had been injured, Dawn News reported.

According to Awan, an anti-encroachment drive was underway at the Kot Lakhpat vegetable market near Arfa Karim Software Technology Park when the explosion took place. 

A fire erupted after the explosion. Glass panes of nearby buildings were shattered.

The area where the blast took place is supposed to be one of the most secure neighbourhoods of Lahore, just 100 metres from Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's office. - IANS