Targeted attack: Two policemen killed in roadside explosion

Another two personnel injured; officials say bomb was hidden in a pile of garbage.

PESHAWAR:

Two policemen were killed and another two injured on Monday when a remote-controlled bomb targeting a police mobile exploded in Sheikh Muhammadi village on the outskirts of Peshawar.

The vehicle belonged to Shahab Khel police. Those killed include check post in-charge, sub-inspector Tajamul Shah, and special force constable Muhammad Ibrar. Driver Habibur Rehman and Constable Muhammad Fayaz were injured and have been hospitalised.

The bomb lay buried under a pile of garbage by the roadside and exploded when the mobile, which was on routine patrol, passed by the Sheikh Muhammad Grid Station at around 8:20am, according to the police.

“The mobile vehicle was completely destroyed and bodies lay around it,” said eye witness Faiz Muhammad who reached the scene soon after the explosion.

He added that the police fired a few shots in the air to disperse the crowd which had begun to gather.

The improvised explosive device weighed around two kilogrammes, said Abdul Haq, a member of the bomb disposal squad. His team inspected the site and collected evidence including parts of the bomb, Haq added.

This is not the first time the vehicle has been targeted. It was also attacked a month ago in a militant ambush on Sheikh Muhammadi Road, injuring three policemen.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2012