Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the Islamabad suicide blast that left at least one policeman martyred and six others including four policemen injured.
TTP statement about the suicide blast
“The attack “on the enemies of Islam” is in retaliation for the recent killing of their senior member Omar Kahlid Khurasani, ” said a statement issued by the spokesperson for the proscribed organisation.
The banned outfit, mostly based in Afghanistan, said that more than one dozen policemen were killed and injured in the blast.
“This virtuous attack carried out by our comrade Maulana Khabib Rehmatullah is in retaliation for the killing of the TTP’s top leader Omar Khalid Khurasani. This attack is a clear message to the enemies they were not safe anywhere from the attacks and targets of the tigers of Allah. We make it clear to our enemies that we would continue to take revenge for the killing of our ‘martyrs’ and will fulfill their dream of an Islamic system in Pakistan,” said TTP spokesperson Muhammad Khurasani.
Islamabad blast
At least one policeman was martyred and six others including four policemen and two civilians were injured in a suicide blast involving a taxi in Pakistan’s capital I-10/4 Sector on Friday morning.
According to initial reports, the policemen had stopped a suspicious taxi for checking when the explosion happened. According to the police, the taxi had explosive material in it.
Later, the police said that it was a suicide blast. The slain cop was identified as Adeel Hussain while the identity of the injured policemen and the two civilians could not be ascertained.
According to police, as police personnel stopped the taxi for a search, it exploded all at a sudden, which left a policeman dead and three others injured.
Later talking to the media, Islamabad Police DIG Sohail Zafar Chatta said that the police personnel had stopped the car during a routine check-up when the blast occurred.
The police officer said that the policemen sought to search the suspicious taxi with a man and woman on board.
Later in a statement, the Islamabad police said that the blast was a suicide attack and around 20 kilograms of explosives were used by the bomber.
