Arrests made in probe into Peshawar blast

CCTV footage of explosion emerges showing three terrorists riding motorcycle

PESHAWAR:

The Counter-Terrorism Department made some arrests on Monday on the basis of information gleaned from a terrorist, who was arrested in injured condition, following Sunday’s motorcycle-borne bomb blast on the Nasir Bagh Road in the provincial capital.

Investigation into the blast continued, while an interrogation team collected information about the incident from the injured terrorist.

A CCTV footage of the explosion has also emerged in which the three terrorists could be seen riding the motorcycle.

The purported video showed two terrorists died and one sustained injured in the blast on Sunday morning.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday condemned the blast and sought a report from the provincial police chief.

Speaking to the media, Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Kashif Aftab Abbasi said that four to five kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast, but it was too early to say who the target was.

Elaborating further, the official said the three terrorists were riding a motorcycle.

“According to the bomb disposal unit report, the blast was not a suicide attack but occurred during the transfer of explosives.”

The SSP said according to the investigation team, no civilian was killed in the blast, but the terrorists riding the motorcycle became victims to the explosives themselves.

He continued that before the terrorist could reach their target, the explosives went off killing two of them.

The third terrorist, who was injured in the blast, had been identified as Usman, aged between 28 and 30 years.

The police official said the motorcycle was completely destroyed in the explosion. He added that the scope of investigation would be expanded by retrieving its engine and chassis numbers.

According to CTD officials, the two slain terrorists were identified as Sulaiman and Amir. They added that one of them was a would-be suicide bomber who belonged to Dir district and currently residing in Peshawar.

The officials said Usman was in a serious condition right now and would be interrogated as soon as he regained consciousness.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2024.