Qasba Colony blast: Several suspects rounded up in raid in Kunwari Colony

Deaths in Thursday's blast were of suicide bomber, motorcycle mechanic.

KARACHI: The law enforcement agencies claimed to have rounded up over a dozen suspects during a targeted operation in a militants' stronghold area of Kunwari Colony on Friday, a day after a blast took place in the nearby Qasba Colony.

The police also confirmed that a would-be suicide bomber and a motorcycle mechanic were the two men killed when the bomb blast took place near Mustafa Masjid in the Qasba Colony area of Orangi Town.

The suspected suicide bomber was identified on Friday evening as Muhammad Azam. Police said that he was identified by his brother, Muhammad Mobin, who was among the 15 suspects detained during the police operation in Orangi Town, said police officer Alam Zaib. The second man killed in the bombing has been identified as Sher Khan, a motorcycle mechanic who lives in the same area.

The police suspect, however, that Khan was helping the alleged bomber and the explosion occurred due to mishandling by one of the two. "We are not sure because we have no concrete evidence yet but we are saying this because of circumstantial evidences and our experience," said district West and Central police chief Captain (retd) Tahir Naveed, while talking to The Express Tribune.

The police investigators have also found the left hand of the suspected suicide bomber and also obtained the fingerprints. "We are now going to approach the National Database Registration Authority to see if they have his records," said Orangi division SP Sajid Sadozai.

Meanwhile, the bomb disposal experts said that a live hand grenade was also recovered from the bombing site. "Apart from the suicide jacket, the alleged bomber had also planted an improvised explosive device on the motorcycle," an expert said.

Once the law enforcers had gathered on the site after the hand grenade attack, the alleged bomber would have blown himself up and triggered the planted device as well, the investigators said.

Raid

Following the bombing, a large number of law enforcers conducted a raid in Kunwari Colony. The operation lasted several hours and the law enforcers came out with over a dozen suspects, who were shifted to an undisclosed location for further questioning. "Around 13 suspects have so far been detained over yesterday's bombing," confirmed SHO Fasiuz Zaman. "We are hopeful that we will get leads to probe the bombing."

Threats

According to sources, the intelligence agencies have warned that militant groups have dispatched around half-a-dozen suicide bombers to carry out bombings in the city. Law enforcement agencies have been asked to beef up security. The police raid the hideouts of militants every day, said SP Sadozai. "Our aim is to conduct raids at their hideouts every day and not give them time to prepare suicide jackets and IEDs," he explained. "The frequent raids by the law enforcers did displace them and halted their terrorist activities," he added.

FIR registered

Meanwhile, Pirabad police have registered an FIR No. 178/14 under Sections 302, 336/34 and 7 of the anti-terrorism act on behalf of the state against the bombing and initiated further investigations. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2014.