Muharram procession: One killed, 25 injured in grenade attack in Peshawar

SSP Operations Ijaz Ahmed confirms that police have detained at least four suspects.

PESHAWAR: At least one person was killed while 25 people sustained injuries in a hand grenade attack on a 9th Muharram procession in the limits of the Khan Raziq Police Station on Thursday evening, the police and medics said.

The attack occurred at around 5:30 pm when the procession headed towards the interior city from Grand Trunk (GT) Road was attacked with a hand grenade at the entrance of the Bazaar Misgaran, said an official of Khan Raziq Police Station.

According to reports, a young boy identified as Qamar Abbas, was killed in attack. Medics at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) said that at least 25 people were injured, including eight women, three children and 14 men.

SSP Operations Peshawar Ijaz Ahmed confirmed that it was a grenade attack and added that the police had detained at least four suspects in connection with the attack.

Mian Gul, an eyewitness, told The Express Tribune that a hand grenade was lobbed over the procession when it had crossed the Chowk Yadgar and was about to enter the Misgaran.

“I heard a blast followed by a spark of fire and there were injured lying all around,” Gul said.

He said that they rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to the hospital. He said that it was a powerful blast adding that the grenade was probably lobbed from a nearby mosque situated on the second floor.

The procession had started in the late afternoon from Imambargh Sakhi Munnawar Shahi in Gulbahar area and was to end at Saeen Gulab imambargah at Mohallah Khudadad after travelling GT Road, Ashraf Road and Chowk Yadgar.

This was third the procession of the day in Peshawar. Earlier, two processions had been carried out peacefully after passing through their usual routes.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2010.