Grenade attack on JI office in Lyari injures three

FIR lodged as BDU confirms Russian-made device used in the attack

KARACHI:

Police have registered a case after a hand grenade attack in Lyari's Phool Patti Lane left three people, including a local Jamaat-e-Islami office-bearer, injured, while investigators confirmed that a Russian-made explosive device was used in the assault.

The FIR was lodged at Chakiwara police station on the complaint of 35-year-old Abdul Baqi, nazim of the party's local chapter, under the Explosive Substances Act, anti-terrorism provisions and other relevant sections. The case has been registered against an unidentified suspect.

According to the complainant, the incident occurred late Tuesday night near Haji Bachal Road, where Abdul Baqi, his 66-year-old cousin Muhammad Hussain, and 41-year-old neighbour Ghulam Mustafa were sitting outside a local office amid a power outage.

He stated that at around 10.30pm, a young man of average build approached on foot and hurled an object into a nearby under-construction plot before walking a short distance away. Moments later, a powerful explosion occurred, leaving all three men injured by shrapnel. Area residents rushed the injured to Civil Hospital, where they remain under treatment.

In his statement, Abdul Baqi said he had joined Jamaat-e-Islami around three months ago to carry out welfare activities in the neighbourhood and had rented the plot for the same purpose. He alleged that since starting these activities, he had been receiving threats from unknown sources.

He further claimed that the attacker intended to kill them and spread fear in the locality by hurling the grenade.

Meanwhile, the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU), after examining the blast site, confirmed that a Russian-made RGD-1 hand grenade was used in the attack. Officials recovered the grenade's safety lever and around 20 small and large fragments of its body, along with other evidence.

The explosion also created a crater measuring about three inches deep and eight inches wide, reflecting the intensity of the blast.

BDU officials added that Russian-manufactured grenades have been commonly used in similar incidents in Lyari, estimating that 60 to 70 per cent of past grenade attacks in the area involved the same type of device.

Following the registration of the case, police handed over the investigation to the Crime Investigation Cell (CIC), while law enforcers launched a probe from multiple angles.

Officials said efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the suspect using technical evidence and forensic leads.