M. M. ALAM
SHIKARPUR: Khanpur tehsil here was targeted by four suicide bombers (wearing jackets harboring nuts, bolts and ten kgs of explosives each) on Eid-ul-Azha. Nevertheless, their attempts of mass murder were foiled by intervention of LEAs. Yet five cops and eight namazis got injured.
NewsPakistan.TV has learned that one suicide bomber blew himself up at an Eidgah while being frisked, injuring ten including two cops.
A couple of other bombers were stopped at the entrance of an Imambargah where hundreds of people were offering namaz. One blew himself up while the other, Usman, was shot, wounded and arrested.
16-year-old attacker Usman hails from Kabal district of Swat. His family shifted to Ittehad Town Karachi some eight years ago. Young Usman was sent to Abu Huraira Madrasa for his religious edification. Two years ago he disappeared from his house and landed in Afghanistan for training in militancy. Subsequently, he surfaced in Quetta and eventually became member of the Quetta network.
Usman said that he was brought in Sindh from Baluchistan and after an overnight sojourn at a hotel he was transported to the scene of crime by his handler/facilitator Umer.
One of the three police personnel who got injured has been reported to be in critical condition.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari has asked for a thorough investigation unveiling the culprits and their facilitators. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who has visited the scene of crime later met the PPP Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Larkana and briefed about the incident.
Inspector General Police A.D. Khawaja immediately reached the scene of crime. While noting that the killed and arrested suicide bombers were not locals, IGP said that Pakistanis would thwart all foreign conspiracies against the country: “We have been fighting the terrorists and will continue the fight till they and their facilitators are eliminated”.
A.D. Khawaja has said that the arrested terrorist would be produced before Military Court.
IGP, lauding the bravery of volunteers and injured policemen (one in critical condition), said that they have saved lives of hundreds by means of their presence of mind. The Police Chief has announced a reward of a million rupees to be equally distributed amongst five injured cops.
Citizens who had blocked the highway, protesting against lack of security measures that led to explosion, had later called off their protest after successful negotiations with the Police higher-ups.
Counter Terrorism Department in-charge Raja Umar Khattab has formally been assigned the responsibility to conduct the investigations.
Meanwhile, Bomb disposal squad has defused two suicide jackets. So far no one has claimed the responsibility for the explosions.
As a result of multiple attacks on Eid day, IGP has declared Red Alert al over Sindh.
SHIKARPUR: Alleged Suicide Bomber Usman who stated that he was brought in from Baluchistan and stayed at a hotel over the night. According to his statement a facilitator named Umer dropped him at the scene of crime.
