Mardan police station attack’s bomber identified

Police official says accused also involved in NADRA office attack.

PESHAWAR: The investigation officers of Mardan suicide blast case, that took place Monday night, have disclosed the identity of the bomber and claimed he was an important commander of a banned outfit.

A senior police official told The Express Tribune National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has verified the suicide attacker’s national identity card and issued his details.

As per the findings, the bomber’s name is Syed Abdullah Ghazi and he was a resident of Shahi Abad, Mohibanda in Mardan district.

Syed Abdullah, 20, has also be found to have been involved in the suicide attack on the NADRA office in Mardan in December 2015, in which at least 26 people died and 50 were injured.

He reportedly facilitated the bomber from Afghanistan to attack the NADRA office.

At that time, the police official said, the Mardan police had issued pamphlets in which Syed Abdullah was referred as the most wanted terrorist.

Monday’s attack

On Monday night, the bomber’s suicide vest detonated as he tried to move close to the vehicle of SHO Ashiq Hussain, the gunman and driver of Hussain were among the nine people injured, the official said.

However, eyewitnesses said an explosion took place after a few gunshots were fired. Their accounts suggested the bomber blew himself up.

Five suicide attacks have occurred in the five initial months on 2016 – out of the count, three are from Mardan.

The pace of the combing operations by the army other security agencies in different areas of Peshawar and other districts has increased after a rise in the incidents of target killing and suicide attacks. There have been 77 operations in Peshawar in which 502 suspects were arrested.

Seven combing operations were also conducted in Mardan, during which security agencies arrested 93 suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2016.