Suicide attack leaves 2 Rangers dead in North Nazimabad

KARACHI:

Six hour after the blast outside the Dawoodi Bohra community mosque, two paramilitary soldiers were killed and four others wounded in a suspected suicide attack on a Rangers patrol vehicle in the North Nazimabad neighbourhood of the city.

“Apparently a suicide bomber, coming from the wrong side of the road, drove his motorcycle into the Rangers mobile van,” said Gulberg SP Faisal Noor while talking to The Express Tribune. A spokesperson for the Rangers added that the attack took place when the Rangers mobile was on a routine patrol in the area.

The two Rangers soldiers, who died on the spot, were identified as Yar Muhammad and Qasim. Four people – two paramilitary soldiers and as many passersby – were wounded in the attack.  The casualties were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where one of the paramilitary soldiers was reported to be in a critical condition.

According to the Bomb Disposal Squad, the bomber carried around six kilos of explosives in his suicide vest.



SP Noor said they have collected the remains of the bomber and the wreckage of his motorcycle for investigation. “We are also trying to obtain finger or foot prints of the bomber for his identification,” he added.

No group claimed immediately claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. The Rangers, however, said the attack was an unsuccessful attempt to dent the resolve of the paramilitary force in its fight against terrorists and other criminals.

“Terrorists and criminal groups are being targeted on a daily basis and now are on the run. This cowardly act by terrorists is an attempt to stop Rangers from operating against state enemies. But these kinds of cowardly acts further rejuvenate our resolve to fight terror and make this city safe,” the paramilitary forces said in a statement.

Giving details of the Rangers operations, it stated that the paramilitary force conducted across-the-board operations against the Taliban, proscribed groups, criminals of various political parties and Lyari gang war elements.

It added that so far this year the Rangers have arrested 962 criminals in 664 operations across the metropolitan city. A large number of weapons, including RPG-7, MG, LMG, SMG, MP-5, rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns, pistols, hand grenades, suicide jackets and bullet proof jackets were also recovered.

Rangers’ Director General Major Gen Bilal Akhtar requested Karachi’s citizens to remove within three days all barriers and gates put up in different neighbourhoods in the name of security. “These barriers are not only creating problems for the citizens but also creating problems for the law-enforcers conducting operations,” he said. “After passing of 72 hours, the Rangers will launch an operation across the board.”


Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2015.