CHRASADDA: Nine police personnel, including a DSP and an SHO, and seven passers-by were killed while 10 others were injured after a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a police checkpost on Wednesday evening.
The incident took place at a checkpost where police had erected barricades after the Charsadda DPO alerted the police to presence of two explosive-laden vehicles in the district.
The dead police personnel were identified as Tangi DSP Bahadar Khan, Mandani SHO Jehangir Khan, ASIs Qayyum Khan and Sher Mohammad, constables Mukhtiar, Amin Jan, Izzat Khan Shouab, and Sardar Ali.
The injured were taken to the Charsadda DHQ hospital, Tangi hospital and Jamalabad hospital. The seriously injured were referred to Peshawar.
Charsadda DPO Mohammad Riaz and Peshawar CCPO Safwat Ghayur oversaw the rescue operation. The heavy rains accompanied with hailstorm and power disruption, hindered the rescue work.
Police and FC were called out in the area. Rumours began circulating late in the night that another suicide bomber might strike ‘any time and any where’, setting off panic throughout the area.
According to unconfirmed reports, two explosive-laden vehicles were used in the attack. Another suspected vehicle (AKA-1041) was found near the scene of the explosion. A movie camera and a hand-grenade were recovered from the vehicle.
The CCPO said that about 100 kilograms of explosives were used in the explosion. An eyewitness said that the explosion was so powerful that a number of houses were partially damaged.
Dawn (Pakistan)
