KARACHI: All 5 Japanese autoworkers (on way from their residence at Zamzama to Export Processing Zone in a convoy of 3 vehicles: Revo, Fortuner, Hiace) remained unhurt when a suicide bomber and another militant riding a bike (followed them from DHA and) attacked their (armored) Hiace van near Murtaza Chowrangi in Landi’s Mansehra Colony here at 6:50am on Friday (19th April, 2024)
Bewildered by the slowing of target (Hiace) due to a speed breaker, unidentified suicide bomber (in his 30s) detonated his 5.5 kgs jacket (filled with 1.5 kgs of ball bearings) prematurely. Since the impact of the blast was absorbed by a delivery van carrying bakery goods, only glasses of one side of the targeted vehicle got shattered.
His accomplice [identified as Sohail Ahmed s/o Abdul Hameed r/o Balochistan’s district Panjgur (also in his 30s), who was also carrying a bag harboring hand-grenades] resorted to firing at the vehicles. As he managed to fire fifteen shots, the guards of the Japanese autoworkers retaliated.
Meanwhile, suspect Sohail Ahmed was neutralized by a policeman belonging to Sharafi Goth police party patrolling the area, who shot him fatally in the head. Following the attack, a number of his associates were nabbed from Panjgur.
A security guard (identified as Noor Muhammad, 45) escorting the Japanese autoworkers, and two pedestrians (Langar Khan and Salman Rafiq) got injured in the incident. Later the guard, who was gravely wounded, succumbed to his injuries at JPMC where he was kept in a ventilator.
Five fragments of the body of suspected suicide bomber was brought to JPMC where his DNA had been acquired for identification. The Japanese autoworkers were taken to an undisclosed safe place. The motorcycle used in the attack is registered in the name of Salman Masih. But when taken into custody, he told that he had never purchased the 2-wheeler and someone misused copy of his CNIC.
Newspakistan.tv
