Targeted attacks: Policemen slain, four others injured in separate attacks

Two oil tankers partially damaged in IED blasts.

KARACHI:

A police officer was shot dead and two others injured on Tuesday when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire at a police van in Korangi.

The incident took place when the policemen were on duty in Korangi No. 2 ½ and were conducting routine snap-checks. “The policemen were busy carrying out snap-checks on one side of the road while the Rangers were doing the same across the road,” said DSP Rahim Shah. “The unidentified motorcyclists shot at the policemen and managed to escape.”

The deceased was identified as sub-inspector Sadaruddin while Liaquat  and Shahzad were injured. They were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for autopsies and medical treatment.

Elsewhere, in Lyari, a 55-year-old police constable was shot at and injured on Mir Muhammad Baloch Road. He was taken to Civil Hospital, Karachi where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police van attacked

Earlier in the day, two policemen were wounded and a police van was damaged in a low-intensity bomb blast in North Karachi.

The bomb blast took place when a police van from the Khwaja Ajmer Nagri police station was on duty near the police post in Baba Morr, North Karachi. The policemen were doing routine snap-checks when the bomb exploded and left the men injured.

The injured men were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment. The doctors said both men had received minor injuries and were released from the hospital after the treatment was completed.

The police cordoned off the area as soon as they reached. “There is no doubt that the police personnel were the target of the attack,” said DSP Altaf Hussain. “Fortunately, due to the presence of several concrete blocks, the policemen were safe.” He added that militants from banned outfits might be behind the attack.

Following the blast, experts from the bomb disposal squad (BDS) also reached the site to collect evidence. There were some unconfirmed reports that the incident took place when unidentified men threw a hand grenade at the mobile van. The BDS, however, told The Express Tribune that an improvised explosive device (IED) had been concealed in a block of concrete. They added that the culprits probably used a cellphone device attached to the bomb for the explosion. They added that the bomb weighed around two kilogrammesand was fitted with ball bearings and nut bolts. The police have yet to file the case.

IED blast

Two oil tankers were partially damaged when two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) went off at the Keamari oil terminal within the jurisdiction of the Jackson police station on Tuesday.

According to DSP Rustam Nawaz, both blasts occurred at different locations and partially damaged tankers belonging to Shell and Total. At the time of the incident, both tankers were empty and were waiting to be filled up. The Shell tanker was waiting for its turn inside the oil terminal while Total’s tanker was stationary in the parking lot.

The bomb disposal squad (BDS) told The Express Tribune that IEDs were used in both blasts. They were attached to the vehicles with magnetic devices. “Each IED contained around 600 grammes of explosives including the ball bearings,” said the squad. “However, we still have to find out if the bombs exploded with a timer or remote control.”

There were reports of a third such blast on Mauripur Road but the police refuted such reports. They claimed that there was an explosion but it was caused by a gas leak.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2014.