Rangers kill suspected suicide bomber

KARACHI: An alleged suicide bomber attempted to attack the Rangers Check Post at the Karachi-Baluchistan border, near the Hub River, but the timely and effective response by the paramilitary personnel deployed there, foiled the attempt.

According to Rangers spokesman, they had received an intelligence information that some terrorists might attempt to carry out terrorism in Karachi and would try to enter the city from the Karachi-Balochistan border route. Acting on the information, the paramilitary force were patrolling the location including near Hub River and its adjoining slums, he said.

The spokesman said around 7:45pm on Saturday, when the Rangers were checking the passing transport near Gari Mazaar, Manghopir, they spotted a young suspect trying to rush towards the deployed troops. The Rangers warned him to stop and when he didn't, they opened fire at him, he said. At that very instant, the suspect blew himself up in injuring two officials of the force. Fortunately, the suicide jacket only partially exploded reducing the damage, the spokesman said.

Later, the bomb disposal squad defused the partially exploded suicide jacket. The Rangers and police gathered evidence from the crime scene. Further investigations are continuing into the type and weight of the explosive as well as the identity of the terrorist and that of the terrorist outfit. The Director General Rangers Sindh Maj Gen Muhammad Saeed has appreciated the efforts of the soldiers who foiled the terrorist bid.

Meanwhile, talking to The News, SSP Omer Shahid Hamid of District West said the Rangers neutralized a suicide bomber near their picket about 100 metres from the Sakhran border in the jurisdiction of the Mangopir police. He also said they have lodged an FIR at the Police Station and further investigations are underway.