Rangers personnel martyred in Karachi IED explosion

A Pakistan Rangers official was killed while 16 others, including two Rangers personnel, were injured when an improvised explosive device fitted in a motorcycle blasted in Orangi Town on Monday.

The scale of the blast was such that it not only destroyed the Rangers’ mobile targeted in the attack but also shattered the windows of several buildings nearby. A car and several motorcycles parked in the vicinity of the paramilitary force’s vehicle were also damaged.

A heavy contingent of the police and Rangers reached the site and cordoned off the area. The deceased and injured were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where the former was identified as Roshan Ali.

The injured persons included two Rangers personnel, namely Muhammad Hanif and Ejaz Ali, and citizens identified as Yasir Hussain, Irfan Nasir, Hussain, Babu Khan, Sobar Hassan, Waqar Ali, Yousuf, Nadeem, Ghulam Ali, Akbar, Saleem Farooq, Irfan and Mehboob.

Initial findings

According to the bomb disposal squad’s initial report, the IED fitted in a motorcycle parked nearby was blasted using a remote control device. It contained four to five kilogrammes of explosives and ball bearings and went off when the Rangers mobile was passing through the area.

The CCTV footage of the blast showed two suspects parking the motorcycle and boarding a rickshaw across the road. The Rangers vehicle nears the motorcycle and the bomb is blasted. The footage shows chaos ensuing on the busy street with passersby rushing to safety in panic.

The police believe that the attackers were present nearby when they detonated the bomb. Geo-fencing of the area will be carried out, said the cops.

Reaching the site several hours after the blast, Karachi AIG Ghulam Nabi Memon said that significant progress has been made in the investigation.

Meanwhile, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab condemned the attack and expressed sorrow at the fatality and injuries.

The government of Sindh greatly values the sacrifices of the paramilitary force, the police and other law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order in the city, he said. “Anti-state elements are trying to disrupt peace in the city but these terrorists will fail.”

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail also took a notice of the attack. “An explosion near a Rangers mobile in Orangi Town Karachi is a matter of great concern. Immediate inquiry into this incident is essential. Medical aid should be provided to the injured. We realize their sacrifices for restoration of peace in Karachi,” he tweeted.

Sindh IGP Mushtaq Maher has sought a detailed report from District West SSP over the incident.