Two terrorists killed in explosives-laden motorbike blast

PESHAWAR: Two suspected terrorists were killed and another was injured when the explosives they were carrying on a motorbike for a major sabotage activity went off near the Board Bazaar on Sunday, officials said.

Officials of the Rescue 1122 reported that two people were killed and another was injured when a bomb went off in Board Bazaar on Nasir Bagh Road at around 8am on Sunday. The officials said the injured person was taken to the Khyber Teaching Hospital.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Operations, Kashif Aftab Abbasi, confirmed that two people were killed while the motorbike was destroyed in the blast.

He said one of the bodies was mutilated. The official said the bomb disposal unit and forensic teams were investigating to find out the nature of the explosion.

Officials said around four to five kilograms of explosives were planted in the bike that went off.

Preliminary reports confirmed that both of those killed in the blast were suspected terrorists who were carrying the explosives for sabotage activity in the city when it went off. “The three terrorists were heading towards their target somewhere in the city with five kilogram explosives when the explosion occurred,” said a source.

Preliminary reports said one of the dead terrorists was identified as Salman hailing from Dir while another was identified as Amir from Peshawar. The wounded was identified as Usman.

Reports said the killed and wounded were wanted terrorists who were involved in a number of terror acts and were carrying explosives for terrorist activity when it accidentally went off.

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur directed the inspector general of police to submit a report of the incident at the earliest.

Though the Board Bazaar is one of the busiest areas in the provincial capital, there was no rush and the traffic was thin at the time of the blast.