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India-Pakistan
Karachi Korpse Kount
2012-04-06
KARACHI: Terrorists carried the day as seven policemen were killed in suicide and gun attacks in the city on Thursday.

In one of the incidents, a suicide bomber struck the convoy of Malir SSP Rao Anwar, killing four people and wounding 16 others. The SSP, who was in an armoured personnel carrier (APC), remained unhurt. Anwar claimed he was the target of the blast, which tore through a busy area lined with market stalls at around 10:30am.

The officer said agencies had warned him against such an attack a month ago.

“[Following the warning], I had reduced my squad to avert a major loss of life,” the SSP said, blaming the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the strike.

Earlier, there were reports that the bomber, riding a motorbike, had hit the APC. Authorities, however, later said the attacker was standing by a road stall near Malir Halt intersection and jumped in front of the APC as the SSPÂ’s convoy passed by.

Officials of Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) and other rescue teams reached the site after the bombing and moved the bodies and injured to hospital. According to BDS, five kilogrammes of explosives had been used in the blast.

The day started with the target killing of three police officials in PIB Colony – an area that has been in the grip of violence for the last week or so. Police said armed men, riding nearly half-a-dozen motorbikes and two cars, ambushed a Ferozabad police car and opened fire. Assistant sub-inspector Dhani Bukhsh and constables Ramzan Brohi and Muhammad Nisar were killed in the attack near Mina Bazaar, Aata Chakki bus stop.

“The attack took place little before 5am,” said Inspector Shahrukh, who is also PIB SHO. “It occurred very early in the morning and there are multiple witness accounts that led us to determine that the attackers were on motorbikes and cars,” the SHO added.

“The attackers used 9mm and 30-bore pistols as well as sub-machine guns,” said an investigator, adding, “They attacked the police car from a very close range.”

Sindh Home Minister Sindh Manzoor Wassan said that a conspiracy had been hatched to disturb order in the city. Speaking to reporters, he said some forces were trying to stir ethnic riots in Karachi.

DIG (East) Tahir Naveed blamed “anti-state” elements for the bombing of the SSP’s convoy. He, however, ruled out any link between the bomb attack and ambush in PIB Colony.

An officer tasked with probing the attack on Rao Anwar said he had found leads about involvement of TTP and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in the bombing.

“The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’s Qari Attaur Rehman is seemed to be behind this attack,” the officer told Daily Times on condition of anonymity.

SSP Rao Anwar has no history of being in a direct combat with terrorists from TTP. He has, however, been in association with CID SSP Chaudhry Aslam for operations against anti-state elements. Aslam is a frontline officer in the war against terrorism and his Defence residence was blown up in a terrorist bombing last year.
Posted by:Steve White

#1  Pakenstein's monster seems to be getting beyond its control. Not unlike Mary Shelley's creation.
Posted by: Glenmore   2012-04-06 09:31  

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