Suicide blast kills six including ASP in Peshawar

At least six people including a senior police officer were reported killed while over 30 sustained severe injuries when a blast targeting police vehicle exploded in Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday.

According to the reports, a blast targeted the vehicle of Assistant Superintendent Police (ASP) Investigations, Hilal Haider. The blast ripped through a congested part of the city, leaving blood and body parts in the street.

SP City Asif Iqbal while talking to media persons at the site of attack said that a suicide bomber struck the vehicle of ASP Hilal Haider adding that six to seven kilograms of explosives was used in the blast.

IG Bomb Disposal Unit Safqat Malik has described it as suicide explosions. He said up to seven kilogram explosives were used in the explosion.

The ASP had left his residence and was en route to his office when the suicide bomber, who was on foot, struck the vehicle. All injured were shifted to the Lady reading Hospital. Security forces cordoned off the area as investigations into the incident went underway.

According to the hospital’s spokesperson 36 injured persons had been received at the hospital whereas the condition of six injured was reported as critical.

An eye-witness described the moment the bomber struck, saying, “I was in a rickshaw, going to the local market to purchase tea for my shop.”

He noted, “Suddenly a deafening blast shook the area. My rickshaw was overturned. When I came out I saw smoke and dust had covered the blast site.”|

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan while talking to a private TV channel claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, alleging that the slain ASP was targeted as he resorted to torture of Taliban suspects during interrogation.

Suicide and bomb attacks blamed on Islamist insurgents have killed more than 5,200 people since July 2007 across Pakistan.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Pervez Ashraf have strongly condemned the explosion. They said such cowardly acts will not weaken the government’s resolve to root out terrorism in the country.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik has sought a report from IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police on the explosion.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Masud Kausar while condemning the explosion‚ paid great homage to police officers and personnel for their unprecedented sacrifices in the war on terrorism.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Nov 7 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.