16 policemen among 19 killed in suicide attack

A suicide bomb blast near Petrol Pump Chowk, just 500 metres from Lal Masjid left 19 people including 16 policemen dead and over 40 injured on Sunday afternoon. SHO Sihala Police Station Safder Ali is among the dead. Nearly 40 injured, most of them policemen, were rushed to PIMS, Poly Clinic and CDA hospitals in critical condition.

Emergency has been declared in all the hospitals of the capital. The government has so far confirmed the death of eight people. Blood and body parts were scattered on the main road and streets of the attack site and terrified people came out of their houses. The ambulances of Rescue 1122, Rescue 15 and other welfare organisations reached the site of the blast and shifted the injured and dead to different hospitals.

Reserve police personnel were targeted in the blast and the dead included policemen from Islamabad and Punjab. Death toll is expected to mount considering the intensity of the blast. The suicide attack was carried out when the first anniversary of Lal Masjid operation was being observed.

An eyewitness living near the blast site told reporters that the suicide bomber was in a car and he struck the vehicle with the police personnel deployed at the Chowk.

Special security arrangements were made for the Lal Masjid Shuhada Conference and huge contingents of Islamabad, AJK, and Punjab Police were deployed to avoid any untoward incident. The blast occurred after the culmination of the conference near Aabpara Police Station at 7.50 pm. The target of the suicide bomber was temporary picket of Punjab Police.

Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik visited the blast site and told reporters: “We had made foolproof security arrangements for the conference and it concluded in a peaceful manner and organisers also praised the arrangements made by the government.” He added it was beyond their imagination that suicide bomber can strike from this side. Rehman said that a joint investigation team has been constituted to probe the incident.

Secretary Interior Syed Kamal Shah also visited the blast site and told reporters: “According to the evidences collected, it was clearly a suicide attack and security forces were the target.”

He said a new investigation team has been constituted with Inspector General of Police Islamabad as its head, which is different from the JIT working on Danish embassy blast. Both the teams will share the information and documents to facilitate each other, he added.

Chief Commissioner Islamabad Hamid Ali Khan when contacted told this scribe that preliminary investigation shows that it was a suicide blast. “Evidences are being collected and injured people are being questioned to make a clear opinion regarding this blast,” he added. He said that the bomb disposal squad has recovered a badly damaged body and it is presumed to be of the attacker.