Disaster averted: Commandos’ van may have been the target, assume Police

KARACHI:

Police officials suspected that the van transporting commandos of the Police Training Centre, Saeedabad, might have been the target of the 100 kilogramme (kg) bomb found near the training centre on Saturday night.

Bomb disposal squad defused the bomb, weighing around 100kg outside the Police Training Centre in Baldia Town.  It was prepared in a huge drum by putting concrete in it.

“We are still not sure about the actual target of the bomb but we suspect that the van of the police commandos might have been the target,” SHO Ayazuddin told The Express Tribune. The attack could be of a similar nature to the one at the Razzakabad police training centre, which had claimed the lives of 13 police commandos in February 2014, said the officer.

Meanwhile, police have registered an FIR, No 184/14 under Section 4/5 of the Explosives Act and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act against unidentified persons on behalf of the state.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has lauded the efforts of the Sindh Police for successfully defusing the bomb. In a statement issued on Sunday, the chief minister has appreciated the efforts of the law enforcement agencies and has directed to improve the intelligence-sharing network to maintain peace in Karachi. The chief minister has instructed the Sindh police to stay alert and keep an eye on such elements to ensure the safety and security of the citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2014.