Blast on Sea View kills two policemen

Police has cordoned off the area and are investigating the incident.

KARACHI: A suspected suicide blast killed two police officers and three suspected terrorists at a secluded spot near the Salt and Pepper Village restaurant at the Sea View boardwalk in Karachi.

SP Tariq Dharejo said three people riding a white Suzuki Bolan were intercepted by a police party near an under-construction park next to the sea wall at devil's point for checking when the car's occupants blew themselves up. The two policemen who intercepted the vehicle were killed by the blast.

One of the officers, Maula Bukhsh died on the spot, while the second officer, Mumraiz Iqbal (initially identified as Safeer) had later succumbed to his injuries at the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center.

Express 24/7 correspondent Sabin Agha reported that following the powerful blast large contingents of police and Rangers rushed to the spot where they discovered the remains of the bombers and the vehicle strewn around. They also reportedly found another jacket intact on one of the occupants of the car.

Fearing that the jacket may have explosives, police proceeded to cordon off the area and sent for the bomb squad.

Dharejo added that “one man was wearing a jacket with a magazine indicating that he was a terrorist”. Hoewever the identities of his fellow occupants was unclear.

Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan confirmed the casualty list that three people in the car and one police officer was killed in the blast while one officer was injured.

Paying tribute to the dead officer identified him as Maula Bukhsh, while the injured officer was identified as Safeer.

The Minister also announced compensation of Rs2 million and a job in police for the martyred officer's son while Rs0.5 million and job in police for his son for the injured officer.

Wasan related the bombers to the threats they had been receiving with respect to upcoming Muharram events.

DIG South, Commander Shaukat Ali Shah said that they had found body parts which indicated the possible presence of a fourth bomber in the car when it blew up.

He added that lack of light was hampering investigations though they had called for flood lights to be set up.

Responding to reports that one of the attackers was a woman, he said that a wig had been found at the site indicating that one of the terrorists may have been wearing a disguise.