SP Kalam Khan dies in Peshawar suicide attack

PESHAWAR: As a new wave of violence continues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Thursday morning, Superintendent of Police Kalam Khan was killed and five others injured in a suicide attack in Pishtakhara Square, close to Bara, Khyber Agency officials said.

The suicide bomber targeted the vehicle in which Khan was traveling while he was on a routine check, Deputy Superintendent of Police Rahim Shah told The Express Tribune. “I rushed to the site as soon as I heard the blast. The bomber had struck the side of the car where Khan was seated,” he said.

Initial investigations revealed that the bomber was on foot and was hidden behind a tree. Senior Superintendent of Police Investigation, Omar Riaz told The Express Tribune that it seemed the attackers had planned their strategy and knew exactly about Khan’s routine.

He added that possibly there was speed breaker where the police vehicle had to slow down.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sairaj Khan who spoke to the media confirmed that it was suicide attack and said that there were about six kg of explosives used to carry out the attack.

An official of the Bomb Disposal Squad told The Express Tribune that the body parts of the suicide bomber had been recovered from the explosion site and that further investigations were underway.

Sources from the hospital said that three of the injured who were shifted to Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) were identified as Basher, Liaquat and Hidayat, while two injured Zeeshan and Johar were brought to the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH).

Two of the injured traveling with Khan had sustained serious injuries.

Khan was serving as the SP for the rural areas of Peshawar and had been a part of many operations against militants, particularly at a time when the areas of Peshawar close to the tribal belt had once again became a breeding ground of the militants. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Khan’s funeral will be offered at the Police Line in Peshawar today.