Death toll from Swat blast rises to 18

K-P IG clarifies explosives detonated within CTD building; terror elements not involved

SWAT:

The death toll from Monday’s blast at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) office in the Kabal area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat Valley rose to 18.

The dead included 11 policemen, five detainees and two civilians. More than 50 people sustained injuries and several buildings in the vicinity collapsed.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Akhtar Hayat Gandapur while taking to media on Tuesday clarified that experts had visited the spot but did not find any evidence of a militant attack.

He said that the blast was caused by explosives inside the building and not because of terrorism.

He maintained that police officials were investigating the “negligence” and other aspects of the blast.

District Police Officer (DPO) Swat Shafiullah Gandapur also stated that the incident was not a terrorist attack but was caused by explosives inside the police station.

Meanwhile, sources claimed that the initial report regarding the blast had not been filed.
The debris removal continued on Tuesday, with shops in nearby markets also severely damaged due to the incident.

A mass funeral for the martyred police officers was held at the Kabal police line. Their bodies were sent to their ancestral areas where they were laid to rest.

The funeral prayers were attended by high-ranking civil and military officials including Peshawar Corps Commander Lt General Hassan Azhar Hayat, IG FC, K-P IG, political and social figures and locals of the area.

The K-P government formed a fact-finding committee to probe the incident.

The development was notified by the KP Home Department, which issued a notification saying: “The competent authority is pleased to constitute the following fact-finding committee into the blasts at the CTD Police Station Kabal, in the night of April 24, 2023, with the direction to submit a comprehensive report covering all aspects of the incident.”

Also read: Swat CTD blast 'not terrorist attack'

After the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter to strongly condemn the attack.

“Nation is deeply grieved over the martyrdom of police officials. Our police have been the first line of defence against terrorism. We will not rest until we eliminate this scourge. My condolences to bereaved families,” he wrote.

K-P Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan also condemned the incident while expressing sorrow over the loss of precious human lives.

Soon after the incident, CM Khan ordered authorities to expedite rescue work and provide medical treatment to the injured. He also prayed for the martyrs and speedy recovery of the injured.