Two Rangers men injured in Hub suicide attack

Attack takes place during a snap checking

KARACHI: At least two soldiers of paramilitary Rangers got wounded on Saturday evening while foiling an alleged suicide attack at a check post in Hub, a commercial centre of Balochistan located near Karachi. The attacker got killed in retaliatory fire.

According to the Sindh Ranger’s spokesperson, the incident took place near a check post located at Hub Chowki at the border between Sindh and Balochistan.

"A suspected suicide bomber tried to attack the Rangers troops engaged in snap checking near the post," said Rangers spokesperson in a statement, quoting the initial investigations.



He said the troops tried to intercept a suspect, who emerged from nearby shrubs and ran towards the security officials. “In retaliation, the troops opened fire at the attacker, who detonated his suicide vest, which exploded partially. The suspect's possible target was the Rangers check post,” he added.

He said as a result of the explosion, two soldiers got injured. The injured were shifted to hospital for medical treatment while the body of the suspected bomber was moved to Edhi morgue for identification purpose.

After the incident, an extra contingent of law enforcers, including officials of police, Rangers and bomb disposal unit, reached the site. A search operation was also initiated in the surrounding areas as officials collected evidences from the site.

According to the spokesperson, the bomb disposal unit later defused the vest, which was not completely detonated during the attack.



“The Rangers troops was carrying out snap checking in the area as we had an intelligence-based information about a possible terror activity in Karachi,” he added.

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Allah Dino Khawaja took notice of the incident and sought a detailed inquiry report on it from Deputy Inspector General West Zone Amir Farooqui.

Rangers has been targeted several times in the past since the beginning of the Karachi operation in 2013. However, such attacks had almost come to a halt when law enforcers busted a gang of militants allegedly involved in such attacks about a couple of years ago.