At least eight people were killed and several others, including a child, injured in a suicide bombing in Pakistan’s Lahore city, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claiming responsibility for the terrorist attack.

Officials said the attack targeted the Police Lines but the security measures forced the bomber to detonate his explosives prematurely, Dawn reported.

Initial investigations revealed that ball bearings were used in the bomb attack in which a police official was also killed and a policewoman was among the injured, police sources said.

A spokesperson for the TTP’s (also called Pakistan Taliban) Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction, said the attack was carried out by the splinter group.

The blast occurred near the main gate of Police Lines in the city’s Gujjar Singh area. Several vehicles parked near the blast site caught fire and the window panes of nearby buildings were also shattered.

Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) chairman Imran Khan strongly condemned the attack.

Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif also condemned the bombing and sought a report on the incident.

Witnesses said gunshots were heard from inside the Police Lines, which is close to the headquarter of Pakistan Railways.

Security personnel, however, said the shots were fired by members of the law enforcement agencies following the blast.