Under attack: Three shops destroyed in IED blast in Hangu

Bomb defused outside boys high school in FR Bannu.

HANGU/ BANNU: An improvised explosive device (IED) went off outside a market in Hangu whereas a bomb was defused in Bannu on Wednesday.

Three shops were destroyed when a homemade bomb planted by unidentified militants went off in front of a market in Hangu city on Wednesday. Fortunately, no loss of life was reported in the incident. Saddar police official Abid Khan said the bomb exploded at around 3am in Kahi area. He added the device was planted just outside Habib Khan Market and was detonated via remote control.

After the explosion, policemen rushed to the site and launched a search operation. However, no one has yet been arrested.

In Frontier Region (FR) Bannu, a bomb planted near the main gate of Government High School for Boys in Mali Khel was defused by security forces. A security force official from Jani Khel in FR Bannu said a powerful IED was planted by unidentified militants near the school’s gate.

“Before school started on Wednesday morning, a pedestrian spotted a suspicious-looking canister planted on the premises and immediately informed us,” he added.

Security force officials rushed to the site along with the bomb disposal unit (BDU). According to the official, the BDU cordoned off the area and defused the bomb.

After the incident, a search was launched in the area. However, security forces did not make any arrests till the filing of this report.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2014.