Five injured in blasts at Ajmal Khattak’s grave
Ajmal Khattak was a famous poet, a former president of ANP, and an MNA. He passed away in 2010.
NOWSHERA:
Two successive blasts at the under-construction mausoleum of former Awami National Party chief Ajmal Khattak in Nowshera left five people injured, officials said on Wednesday evening.
According to details, the Nowshera police were trying to clear people gathered at the site of a bomb explosion at the mausoleum. As the people were being asked to leave, another improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the same graveyard. Five people including three journalists were injured.
“Chaos broke after the second explosion took place,” Siddique, an eyewitness told The Express Tribune. “Neither the police nor journalists went close to the area after the explosion.” An official of the bomb disposal unit said that around four kilograms of explosives were used to carry out the first attack while approximately a two kilogram IED caused the second explosion.
The injured were rushed to District Headquarters Nowshera hospital.
The earlier bomb that went off at the under-construction mausoleum badly damaged the structure. No loss of life was reported in the incident, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack thus far.
Police have arrested the guard of the building and are currently interrogating him.
Ajmal Khattak was the former president of ANP, a former MNA and a famous poet. He died of illness on February 7, 2010 in Peshawar.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2012.
Two successive blasts at the under-construction mausoleum of former Awami National Party chief Ajmal Khattak in Nowshera left five people injured, officials said on Wednesday evening.
According to details, the Nowshera police were trying to clear people gathered at the site of a bomb explosion at the mausoleum. As the people were being asked to leave, another improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the same graveyard. Five people including three journalists were injured.
“Chaos broke after the second explosion took place,” Siddique, an eyewitness told The Express Tribune. “Neither the police nor journalists went close to the area after the explosion.” An official of the bomb disposal unit said that around four kilograms of explosives were used to carry out the first attack while approximately a two kilogram IED caused the second explosion.
The injured were rushed to District Headquarters Nowshera hospital.
The earlier bomb that went off at the under-construction mausoleum badly damaged the structure. No loss of life was reported in the incident, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack thus far.
Police have arrested the guard of the building and are currently interrogating him.
Ajmal Khattak was the former president of ANP, a former MNA and a famous poet. He died of illness on February 7, 2010 in Peshawar.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2012.