File photo of a rocket. PHOTO: AFP
The provincial metropolis was rocked with blasts around midnight on Tuesday when five rockets landed in various parts of the city. On Wednesday, a sixth rocket was recovered amid speculations its original target was a police checkpoint while a seventh was defused near a school.
Police said two rockets landed inside Bacha Khan International Airport, however, there was no damage reported. The rockets did not hit any major infrastructure and landed in a green patch instead.
The other three rockets landed in Tehkal, Regi Model Town and University Town. The one in University Town hit a car showroom; it went through the shutter, damaging around five or six cars.
According to a bomb disposal unit (BDU) official, the warhead of the rocket which hit the showroom did not explode completely. The remaining explosives were defused by the BDU.
“There are no reports of any casualties in the attack but the resultant blasts caused a wave of panic,” said an official of Tehkal police station.
The sixth rocket was defused by the BDU in a graveyard in Bazid Khel, Badhaber. BDU officials believed the target of the rocket was Shahab Khel police check post. The rocket failed to explode due to a technical fault.
Another missile was found near a school on Warsak Road and was also neutralised.
Although Tehkal police initially estimated all the artillery rockets were fired from the direction of Khyber Agency, investigation on Wednesday clarified all had been fired from surrounding settled areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2014.
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