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| India-Pakistan | |
| 26 injured in Karachi blast near Muharram procession | |
| 2009-12-27 | |
| KARACHI: A roadside bomb wounded at least 26 people soon after a procession of mourners passed the Khalifat Chowk in Paposh Nagar police precincts in Karachi’s North Nazimabad Town on Saturday. Karachi Capital City Police Officer Waseem Ahmed told Daily Times that it seemed that a remote controlled device was used to detonate the bomb, that weighed around half a kilogramme. “Twenty-six people, including two rangers personnel and two policemen were wounded and taken to hospital. Six of them have been discharged while others may be released soon,” the police chief said. Ahmed added the bomb was placed close to a car parked on the road, adding that from now on, all procession routes would be checked by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) beforehand.
BDS Assistant Sub-Inspector Abdul Rauf confirmed that around half a kilogramme of explosives was used along with ball bearings, nuts and bolts, which also caused cracks in the ground around the blast site. Sindh Police CID SSP Fayyaz Khan told Daily Times that it was likely that the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) outfit and other anti-Shia elements might have carried out the attack. He said the CID had informed the authorities about possible terrorist activities, including suicide bombings, roadside bombings and target killings by the LJ in Orangi Town, Nazimabad, Paposh Nagar, Golimar, Gulbahar and others areas of the city. However, a senior investigation officer told Daily Times that the area where the explosion occurred was dominated by the LJ. “LJ chief Ataur Rehman alias Naeem Bukhari who is now imprisoned in Sukkur jail after being arrested by the intelligence agencies in 2002 also used to live in the area where this explosion took place,” the officer explained. He said a group led by Qari Abid Mehsud, chief commander of the LJ, and also affiliated with Taliban, could be behind the bombing. “Qari Abid has been involved in various terrorist activities in the city, including the Nishtar Park suicide bombing, suicide bombing on Shia scholar Allama Hassan Turabi, abductions and the killing of noted transporter Shaukat Afridi,” he said. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |