One dead in twin bomb attack on Pakistan capital

Published May 24, 2014
Pakistani police officials inspect the site of a bomb explosion in Islamabad on May 24, 2014. — Photo by AFP
Pakistani police officials inspect the site of a bomb explosion in Islamabad on May 24, 2014. — Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: Two bomb explosions rocked Pakistan's capital Islamabad early Saturday, killing one security guard and wounding another, police said, following several days of military strikes targeting insurgents.

The first blast occurred around 2:00 am (2100 GMT) in an upmarket shopping area close to the city centre.

“One watchman has died in the hospital, he was very critically wounded and did not survive. The second watchman is getting medical treatment,” said Chaudhry Hafiz Hussain, a senior police official.

He said it was not clear if the blast was the result of a suicide bomb.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the blasts came after three days of air strikes by the Pakistani military against militant hideouts that have killed at least 75 people.

Local television footage of the first blast showed broken glass and branches strewn across the pavement.

Mohammad Ali, another police official, told reporters that the second bomb went off in a car.

“The low-intensity explosive was planted in a car. The blast has badly damaged the car but no one was hurt,” he said.

The second blast came around half an hour after the first and was in a different part of the capital.

The attacks were the first in Islamabad since an explosion tore through a fruit and vegetable market in April, killing at least 22 people.

The latest blasts came after more than three months of stop-start peace talks between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which have made little progress since they began in February.

A month-long ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban, who have waged a seven-year insurgency, expired last month.

Opinion

Editorial

X post facto
Updated 19 Apr, 2024

X post facto

Our decision-makers should realise the harm they are causing.
Insufficient inquiry
19 Apr, 2024

Insufficient inquiry

UNLESS the state is honest about the mistakes its functionaries have made, we will be doomed to repeat our follies....
Melting glaciers
19 Apr, 2024

Melting glaciers

AFTER several rain-related deaths in KP in recent days, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has sprung into...
IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...