At least eight people were killed and more than 40 were injured in a pre-dawn suicide attack on a CID police station at University Road on Wednesday, police and hospital sources said.
Building of the station was completely destroyed in the blast. Police officials said that an explosive-laden Shahzor mini truck rammed into the main gate of the CID police station located at the Main University Road, also called Jamrud Road, near Gora Qabristan at 4:38am in the morning.
SSP (Operations) of Peshawar Police Ejaz Ahmad said that the vehicle used in the suicide attack contained 250 to 300 kilogrammes of explosives. “The whole building collapsed after the blast,” he said.
According to CCPO Peshawar, Liaquat Khan, army personnel, police officials and rescue workers reached the site of the blast within 10 minutes of its occurrence. “The bomber attacked at a time when the police personnel inside the building were busy offering Fajr prayers,” IGP Peshawar Fayyaz Toroo said.
The IGP said that the incident was not a security lapse as police was on a high alert. “The building is located just beside the road and at the end of the day it was a suicide attack,” he said, adding that Peshawar Police was bravely fighting militancy and would continue to do so.
“Investigtors are busy collecting evidences from the spot and the rescue work is going on,” he said.
Sound of the blast was so loud that it was heard all across the city. CID police station is located at Main University Road. It falls in the cantonment area.
Peshawar Airport is at around a distance of two kilometers from the site of the incident. Also adjacent to the police station is para trooping school of Pakistan Army, while the US consulate is located around one kilometer away from the attack site.
According to the eye-witnesses, the army personnel reached the spot first and cordoned off the area. Police officials arrived later.
Some locals say they heard sounds of firing after the blast. The injured were taken to the nearby Khyber Teaching Hospital, Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex. Rescue work was going on till the filing of this report. Personnel of rescue services were trying to avoid use of heavy machinery to minimise casualties as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying it was their fourth reprisal for the May 2 death of Osama bin Laden, whose discovery and killing in Pakistan humiliated the military and government
0 comments:
Post a Comment