Ashrafuddin pirzada
PESHAWAR: At least three children and a woman were injured when an Improvised explosive device(IED)planted on the busy Warsak Road went off in Peshawar this morning, sources said on Tuesday.
They said that the blast took place when children and servants rushed to reach their schools and offices. “It was a big blast followed by thick dust in the air,” said an eyewitness. He said he was on the way to offices and around a hundred yards from the blast site. He said the victims could be children mostly as a semi-government school is very near to the blast site on the road.
As the blast happened, security forces, police, bomb disposal unit, and rescue workers rushed to Warsak road and cordoned off the area. They diverted the traffic to conduct the clearance operation and rescue the injured.
Meanwhile, the superintendent of Police Warsak, Arshad Khan said that the blast occurred at 9:10 am. He said four kilograms of explosives were utilized in the explosion. The police officer said three children were initially reported injured in the blast.
SP Arshad Khan said the premature of the blast yet could not be ascertained who was the terrorist target in the incident. He however said they have collected the evidence and would soon identify the motive behind this inhuman crime.
He said the improvised explosive device (IED) was planted at the centre of the road, which remains very busy around the clock.
Arshad said the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) and other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) are actively investigating the case, and a search operation has been launched.
The blast not only spread a wave of fear among the citizens but parents who send their children to schools also showed concern and said that their children should be provided safe schooling environment.
It may be added that parents recalled the Army public school incident that happened on December 16, 2014, in which 150 people including students and teachers, were martyred. They said parents want not to repeat Army public school-type incidents.
