'Cultural capital' Lahore bleeds with 223 deaths in terror strikes in just seven months

Lahore, July 5 (ANI): Once recognised as Pakistan's cultural capital, Lahore has apparently turned into the country's 'terror capital' with over 223 people, including scores of women and children, being killed in terror strikes within a span of just seven months in 2010.

The provincial capital has been on the hit list of extremists for a couple of years now with 108 people being killed in 2009 and another 72 succumbing to the militants' ghastly acts in 2008.

Last week's twin suicide attack on the famous Hazrat Data Gunj Bukhsh shrine in which 42 people were killed and over 175 injured was only one of the deadly strikes that the city has witnessed this year.

On May 28, at least 95 people were killed and over 100 others sustained injuries in a brazen terror seize of two Ahmedi mosques by seven terrorists, including three suicide bombers, in Model Town and Garhi Shahu areas of the city.

Extremists struck Lahore's famed RA Bazaar in the Cantonment area killing 62 people, including eight security officials and injuring 90 others on March 12.

On same day the city was rocked with several low intensity blasts in which seven persons were injured.

On March 8, around 15 people were killed and 80 others injured in a suicide blast in front of the Special Intelligence Agency office in Model Town, The Daily Times reports. (ANI)