KARACHI - A suicide bomber hit a Rangers’ convoy, guarding the wing commander, in Qayyumabad area and wounded two personnel here on Friday.
The attack came after a day when an explosive-laden vehicle hit a police van which claimed the lives of 13 cops and wounded 50 others.
The convoy of the Gazi Ranger’s wing commander Brigadier Basit was passing through the Qayyumabad area when a suicide bomber walked towards the convoy and exploded him. The Rangers commander and the personnel remained safe in the attack. Two passerby and two Rangers personnel were slightly wounded. Following the blast, law enforcers, rescuers of a welfare organisation and experts of Bomb Disposal Squad rushed to the spot. The rescuers shifted the wounded persons to PNS Shifa hospital. The law enforcers cordoned off the area to preserve the crime scene and collected the evidences. Initial investigation revealed the bomber exploded just away from the convoy which brought slight damages to the vehicle of wing commander.
The BDS official said five to seven kilogramme explosives with pellets were used in the attack.
A Rangers’ spokesman said the explosion had targeted a wing commander of the force who was travelling in the vehicle. He added the body parts of the suicide bomber including the head and legs were found from the site. The body parts were sent to the forensic laboratory for examination and the fingers have been sent to Nadra for identification of the bomber.
SP Uman Bajwa said Brigadier Basit Ali was on his way to office in DHA when the bomber, sitting on the way by disguising himself as a beggar, ran towards the vehicle and exploded the device. He further said two injured passersby were shifted to the JPMC while Rangers personnel were shifted to PNS Shifa.
It is worth mentioning here that it was the second suicide attack against the Rangers. Earlier, a bomber targeted the Rangers headquarter in Nazimabad area where three rangers men and a security guard were killed.
Ranger spokesman further said a suicide bomber hit the of Rangers senior officer in Qayyumabad area and all the personnel remained safe in the incident. This kind of coward attempts will further strengthen our resolve to fight against terrorism. Rangers morale is high and they are not perturbed over this cowardly attack on our brave soldiers. Rangers and the people of Karachi stand united to fight and combat terrorism.
Meanwhile, police have registered a case against the chief of defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Maulvi Fazalullah and spokesman Shahidullah Shahid in Sharafi Goth police station.
Meanwhile, Counter Terrorism Unit of Crime Investigation Department claimed to have busted a splinter group of Al-Qaeda involved in various cases of terrorism including the series of bombing during the last general elections.
Addressing a press conference, CID incharge Raja Umar Khattab revealed the terrorists were mostly the graduates of the universities. They were the group members of Al-Ashab.
The group had also been subdivided into three groups including the recruitment cell. Another wing comprises on the technical staff and the last wing of militants carried out the terror attacks. Police claimed to have arrested three operatives of the group including Allam aka Asad, Arman Naveed aka Shoaib Khan and Hassan Shuja aka Amir in raids conducted from different areas. The group is operated from the universities and also from the areas including Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulberg and other middle-class areas. The group used to recruit educated people from universities and areas and brainwashed them slowly. The groups used to target Bohri Community in Nazimabad and North Nazimabad areas and also attacked the MQM workers and election offices during the last general election. The group also killed several policemen and people associated with the Shia community.
The accused claimed to have killed an MQM worker Shiraz in Gulbarge area. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have had claimed the responsibility of the attack through the email at that time. Similarly, Shia Action Committee leader came under attack in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area who lodged an FIR against the workers of a political party but the said group also confessed attacking Mirza Yousaf Hussain.
Khattab pointed out the group used to exploit political and sectarian groups to flare up violence in the City. He claimed to have seized a huge cache of telephonic chips and material being used in the blast after a raid in the bomb-making factory. He said Naveed aka Uncial was the chief of the militant wing and Abbas, Gulzar and Hafeez Ali accompanied him in the terror activities.
A sports teacher of a private university, Hassan Masood headed the technical wing and recruitment group is being headed by Ustad Ahmed Farooq (Waziristan). One of their operative Mueed Islam blew up hand grenade and died to avoid arrest recently. Khattab said the accused persons confessed that a number of other groups, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, were also operating in the City. The groups have been funded and trained by the Al-Qaeda.
FIVE GUNNED DOWN
A militant affiliated with the Defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was gunned down by his rival group of TTP in Sultanabad area.
Police said Saddam Hassan, 24, resident of the same area, was standing outside his home when gunmen riding a motorbike targeted him and managed to flee. Police said the victim was affiliated with TTP Shair Khan group. His rival Fakhroo group of the TTP was behind the killing. Police are investigating the involvement of the victim in the terrorist activities. The body was shifted to morgue after autopsy at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
On the other side, Gadap City Police found a mutilated body of a 35-year-old man from the bushes. Police shifted the body to morgue after autopsy.
An activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement was gunned down in Soldier Bazaar police precincts. Police said Salamat Ali was the worker of MQM’s PIB unit. He was at his tailor shop where gunmen riding a motorbike came and shot him dead. MQM coordination committee condemned the incident and held Lyari gangsters responsible for the killing of Salamat.
A worker associated with Awami National Party was shot dead in Landhi area. Police said Zaman left the mosque after offering the Friday prayer when gunmen targeted him and fled.
Another man namely Yaqoob was shot dead in Landhi area. Police have yet to ascertain the motive behind the killing and handed the body over to the family after autopsy.
Meanwhile, gang war continued in various parts of Lyari which left a man dead and wounded four others during exchange of rockets, grenades and firing. Police said the group of Noor Muhammad aka Baba Ladla and Uzair Jan Baloch were engaged in gun battle. The whole area remained tense due to intense firing. One Zafar Iqbal was killed while four others were wounded including a woman.
Dhobi Ghat, Kalakot, Cheel Chowk and surrounding areas were surrounded by intermittent firing which was continued since morning. The law enforcers remain stayed away from the troubled areas.