23 December 2022
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
A suspect suicide bomber blew himself up when police officials stopped a taxi cab for a search in Islamabad, leaving a policeman martyred and six others, including two civilians, wounded in the explosion in I-10/4 sector on Friday.
The police stopped a suspicious vehicle with a man and a woman aboard in the morning, Deputy Inspector General of Police Sohail Zafar Chattha told reporters at a media briefing. “The couple out of the car but while being searched the man went inside the vehicle on some pretext and detonated himself,” Chattha said. He said a police officer of the Eagle Squad was martyred and four fellow officials were wounded in the blast. The injured cops were moved to a nearby hospital for treatment. The martyred policeman was identified as Head Constable Adeel Hussain.
According to police sources, 18 kg of explosives were used in the Islamabad blast, and a mobile phone was also found at the scene, which has been seized. Chattha lauded the police for saving Islamabad from a major disaster.
A policeman was martyred and at least six people — including four police officers and two civilians — were injured in a suicide blast in Islamabad’s I-10/4 sector on Friday, police officials said.
Red alert security issued
Following the suicide blast, the Islamabad police chief issued red alert security in the city. In a tweet, Islamabad police said a crackdown would be launched against vehicles and motorcycles with applied-for or non-specimen number plates. Nobody would be allowed to carry firearms. Police told citizens to carry the necessary identification documents with them while traveling in the city. In addition, police said local government election candidates would not be allowed to hold corner meetings in the open and directed them to ensure security while holding such meetings inside premises.
Both bombers dead
Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the male and female terrorists were killed in the explosion. He said the suicide bombers intended to carry out attacks on high-value targets in the federal capital. He said the vehicle entered Islamabad from Rawalpindi on Friday morning.
Security across the Rawalpindi district was also put on high alert and strict monitoring of all entry and exit points of the twin cities has been implemented. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The country has seen an upsurge in terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the proscribed militant outfit announced a renewal of attacks last month.
