PESHAWAR: Seven individuals, including three children, sustained injuries during an explosion aimed at police personnel on Warsak Road in Peshawar on Tuesday, as confirmed by police and hospital authorities.
The blast, as per the police, occurred due to explosives detonating in the vicinity.
Those wounded were promptly transported to Lady Reading Hospital, where two of the children, aged between 7 to 10 years old, are reportedly in critical condition, stated a hospital spokesperson.
SSP Operations Kashif Aftab Abbasi explained that the explosion targeted a mobile vehicle from the Machnigate Police Station during a routine patrol.
“The blast occurred approximately three seconds after the police mobile passed by. The intention of the militants was to target the police vehicle,” Abbasi conveyed in an interview with a private TV channel.
No arrests have been made yet, although Abbasi assured that efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible.
Moreover, he highlighted the ongoing examination of CCTV footage related to the explosion.
Superintendent Police Arshad Khan, who was present at the scene, shared details, stating that the blast, involving explosives concealed within a roadside cement block, took place at approximately 9:10 am.
The explosives, weighing 4kg, were concealed within the cement block at the roadside, Khan further revealed.
A search operation in the surrounding areas has been initiated by the police in response. Khan mentioned that authorities are considering the possibility of extortion as a motive behind the blast.
Regarding the target of the attack, SP Arshad Khan emphasized the need for further investigation before drawing any conclusions when addressing journalists.
Following the incident, both police and Rescue 1122 teams promptly responded, arriving at the site located in the Babu Garhi area of Peshawar.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
