Spreading terror: BDU neutralises five bombs planted on electricity pylon in city

Mobile tower in Bannu damaged in minor explosion

PESHAWAR/ BANNU: The bomb disposal unit (BDU) neutralised five explosive devices in Shaftal Banda in the city on Thursday. In Bannu, one bomb planted near a mobile tower exploded while two others were defused.

The bombs were first spotted by locals within the jurisdiction of Phandu police station in the city. The police was called and an officer told The Express Tribune explosives were packed inside four pressure cookers and planted on the pillars of an electricity transmission tower in Shaftal Banda; one bomb in a plastic case was planted in the middle of the tower. The explosives weighed around four kilogrammes each.

The BDU was called, and the pressure cooker bombs and the one in the plastic casing were defused successfully.

Bannu

A minor explosion occurred Thursday morning in which a mobile tower and a boundary wall were slightly damaged. The incident took place in Bachki Jani Khel, Bannu.

Gul Muhammad told the police unidentified men planted a bomb near his house alongside a mobile tower. The device exploded, causing some damage. Following the explosion, security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Meanwhile, locals spotted bombs planted on two other mobile towers in Hind Khel. The BDU was called and both bombs were neutralised.

FIRs registered

Hayatabad police registered an FIR on the complaint of Haji Tarkistan, a political moharrar, whose house was targeted in a low intensity bomb blast on January 27.

Tarkistan stated in the FIR, “A banned organisation’s group called me and demanded Rs10 million in extortion.” He added, “They also targeted my house in September 2015.”

Faqirabad police lodged an FIR in an incident which took place on January 26. The report was registered on the complaint of Ibrahim.

The complainant stated unidentified persons handed over a pressure cooker to one of his children and directed him to place it in the house, “in Ahmad’s room”.

He further stated in his complaint, “When women present at the house opened the cooker, they found cables and explosive device as well as a pamphlet in which ‘they’ demanded money.”

Ibrahim added they immediately informed the police and BDU which neutralised the device successfully.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2016.