Law and order: Blast at police station injures two officials

The explosion took place when the disposal squad was detonating the IED.


Express November 26, 2011

HARIPUR:


Two policemen were injured in an explosion at Khalabat Township Police Station here on Friday.


According to the police, the blast took place as the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was defusing the device, which shattered the window panes of the police station and adjoining houses, besides causing minor damages to the building and vehicles parked outside the station. It also created panic and fear among residents, who rushed out of their houses.

According to a handout issued by the police, they received a tip-off about a suspected car parked outside a seminary, upon which they reached the spot and found a plastic canister fitted with wires.

The BDS was immediately called to the scene; they unwired the canister and took the device to the police station to defuse it, which exploded as they were defusing.

A police officer requesting not to be named said that the canister was carrying nearly 25 to 30 kilograms of powdered explosives and it exploded due to mishandling by officials. The injured were identified as Sub-Inspector Kala Khan and Constable Basharat.

Haripur District Police Officer Muhammad Ali Gandapur and Deputy Superintendent of Police Abdul Saboor were not immediately available for comments.

It has been reported that the seminary, which is operated by the local chapter of Jamaat-i-Islami, has a strength of over 100 students.

This is the third terrorism involving law enforcement agencies in Haripur so far.

On September 13, 2007, a suicide bomber struck the Karar Company mess at SSG Brigade Headquarter near Tarbela Dam, killing 16 soldiers and injuring 29 others.

In addition to that, the local also police arrested an Egyptian national Abdullah from Malikyar village on May 21, 2009 and seized hand-grenades, AK-47s, CDs with footages of Taliban and al-Qaeda members from him.

Following Abdullah’s arrest, six attackers, in a bid to release his family from police custody, entered his house on May 25, 2009 and killed four police officers deployed to keep a watch on the family. When the police returned fire, one of the attackers, later identified as an al-Qaeda member Ejaz, was killed.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2011. 

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