Bomb targets security official in Peshawar, no casualties

No casualties are reported by the police in the blast.

PESHAWAR: A powerful blast broke through the silence of the early hours of the morning  in Peshawar when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off outside the office of the District Co-Ordination Officer (DCO). No casualities were reported by the police.

The DCO's office is located on the Shahi Bagh road near the Badshah Khan Chowk, one of the most crowded areas of the provincial capital. The outer wall of the building was partially damaged by the blast while the electric power lines were also affected, DSP Shakir Bangash told The Express Tribune. “The bomb was locally made, with almost 500 grams of dynamite in it," he added.

Security has been beefed up in the area during the month of Muharram, as processions are expected in the heart of the city and  section 144 remains imposed on order of the local government.

SSP Tahir Ayub, present on location, said that the blast was meant to disrupt the peace of the city since no militant factions could enter high security zones.

“It’s softer targets like these that are chosen by militants to show their presence" he told The Express Tribune.