PESHAWAR: At least five people, including a police constable, sustained injuries when suspected militants lobbed a grenade on a police convoy on Thursday, police officials said.
According to medics, however, nine people, including five civilians and four policemen, were injured.
The attack took place in the Batatal area of Sarband Police Station – which shares border with the restive Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency – when a police convoy in an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) came under attack.
SSP Operations Peshawar Tahir Ayub told The Express Tribune that the attack targeted the personnel deputed at a police APC, during their lunch hour.
He added that a police constable of the Elite Police Force (EPF) and four civilians were injured in the attack.
The police official further said that there were initial reports of the presence of a suicide bomber in the area. However, the area was cleared after a search operation. Initial reports also suggested that a suicide attack on a police vehicle had taken place in the area; however, the police later clarified that it was a grenade attack.
“It was a locally made grenade, and weighed about 300-400 grams,” an official of the Bomb Disposal Unit told The Express Tribune.
The Batatal area is situated some 15 kilometres south-west of Peshawar on the main road linking Bara tehsil of the Khyber Agency with Peshawar.
The police convoys have frequently come under attack in the area. Militants loyal to militant outfit Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) have targeted security installations in the area.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ