Qissa Khawani blast targeted public, not police station: Report

The purpose of the blast was to create a state of chaos among the general public, the report confirmed.

PESHAWAR: The investigation report into the Qissa Khawani Bazaar attack that claimed the lives of at least 42 people clarified that the nearby police station was not the target of the bomb, Express News reported on Monday.

The purpose of the blast was to create a state of chaos among the general public, the report stated. Investigations also uncovered that the white Toyota Corolla XLI that was used in the attack was stolen, and it entered Qissa Khawani through the Khyber Bazaar.

Confirming what initial investigations revealed, the report said the bomb was remote-controlled and contained 200 kilogrammes of explosives.

“Phosphorus was mixed with the explosives, which triggered the fire,” AIG Malik said.

“Artillery shells were also used in the device to inflict maximum casualties.”

At least 42 people – including 17 from the same family – were killed and 100 wounded when the massive car bomb tore through the crowded bazaar around 11:10am September 29.

The fatalities included seven women and eight children, some of them aged five to 12. Medics at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) confirmed the casualty figure.

Background

This was the third attack in a week in Peshawar. On September 22, two suicide bombers attacked the All Saints Church compound and two days later a bus carrying government employees was bombed on the edge of Peshawar. In all, over 100 lives were lost in the two attacks.

Furthermore, it was the fourth blast in Qissa Khawani Bazaar in the past five years, including two suicide attacks which left DSP Gulfat Hussain and SP Hilal Haider dead.

Apart of that, there have been several blasts in the adjacent markets, including the one in Dhaki Nalbandi which had killed senior minister Bashir Bilour and the other in Dhaki Dalgaran which had left Peshawar police chief Malik Saad dead.