GLOBAL ECONOMY

Death toll from Easter bombing in Pakistan reaches 70

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Supporters of the religious party Sunni Tehreek hold sit-in protest outside the parliament building in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, March 28, 2016. Thousands of demonstrators marched into the Pakistani capital to protest the hanging of Qadri, charged with murdering a secular governor. Police officer Muhammad Nasim said that the march of thousands people was peaceful initially, but as the crowds reached an avenue leading to parliament the protesters turned violent, smashing windows and damaging bus stations. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) (The Associated Press)

Supporters of the religious party Sunni Tehreek hold sit-in protest outside the parliament building in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, March 28, 2016. Thousands of demonstrators marched into the Pakistani capital to protest the hanging of Qadri, charged with murdering a secular governor. Police officer Muhammad Nasim said that the march of thousands people was peaceful initially, but as the crowds reached an avenue leading to parliament the protesters turned violent, smashing windows and damaging bus stations. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) (The Associated Press)

A Pakistani man walks past a burning truck set on fire by supporters of the religious party Sunni Tehreek during a march toward the parliament building in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, March 28, 2016. Thousands of demonstrators marched into the Pakistani capital to protest the hanging of Qadri, charged with murdering a secular governor. Police officer Muhammad Nasim said that the march of thousands people was peaceful initially, but as the crowds reached an avenue leading to parliament the protesters turned violent, smashing windows and damaging bus stations. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) (The Associated Press)

The death toll from a massive suicide bombing targeting Christians gathered on Easter in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore has risen to 70 as the country starts observing three-day mourning period following the attack.

A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, which has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group, claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack in Gulshan Iqbal Park.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar's spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan told The Associated Press the suicide bomber deliberately targeted the Christian community. Some 300 people were wounded in the explosion.

In the capital, Islamabad, the army fanned out Monday around the Parliament and other strategic points to prevent riots by militant protesters who have been rallying there since the previous day.