A suspected suicide bomb explosion in Karachi’s Landhi Mansehra Colony killed two individuals and injured two security guards on Wednesday. The deceased are believed to be suicide bombers.
SSP Tariq Mastoi said that police had foiled the attack by acting diligently. He confirmed that a vehicle carrying foreign nationals had been targeted but all four foreigners inside had remained safe.
The SSP added that the foreigners were travelling to the Landhi Export Processing Zone.
Mastoi said that a total of three attackers had been involved in the incident including a suicide bomber on a motorcycle. He added that one attacker had been killed by firing from the police while the third had managed to flee the scene.
The injured security guards and the dead bodies have been transferred to Jinnah Hospital.
Initial reports suggest the vehicle belonged to foreigners. Reuters later reported that the van was carrying Japanese nationals.
“We received information about the presence of terrorists in the same area a few days ago,” a source in the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) stated.
Images from the scene showed what looked like the body parts of the suicide bomber and the body of another person lying on the ground.
Windows of the van carrying foreigners was shattered. Its airbag had been deployed due to the crash.
A security official who survived the attack said that the foreigners were travelling as a three-vehicle convoy.
He added that a security vehicle led the way, while four foreigners were in a van behind them followed by an SUV which also carried foreigners.
The security official confirmed that only the van carrying the foreigners had been targeted and security had immediately pushed back the SUV to keep it safe.
He said that there had been a loud explosion followed by intense firing from the attackers.
He added that police had immediately arrived on the scene and engaged the attackers, killing one of them.
A preliminary report of the investigation into the Landhi Mansehra Colony blast has been compiled by the Bomb Disposal Squad.
Sources said that the jacket used in the blast was “similar to the one” used in the suicide blast in Karachi Police Office (KPO). Grenades, weapons and techniques were also of the same style, they added.
The weight of the suicide jacket was about more than five and a half kilogrammes. It contained four kilogrammes of commercial-made high-explosive explosives while 1.5kg ball bearings were inserted in it.
Four rifles, grenades, and launchers were recovered from the terrorists’ possession while all eight hand grenades were Russian-made RGD-1.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has taken notice of the recent attack on a convoy of foreign nationals, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
According to a spokesman for the Sindh home minister, Lanjar has instructed the additional inspector general of Police, Karachi, to furnish a detailed report on the incident.
He emphasized the importance of thorough investigations by the police into the matter.
Lanjar has instructed the police to provide a comprehensive account of the actions taken in response to the attack. He reiterated that the province’s peace and security are paramount and that any attempts to disrupt it will not be tolerated.
