ISLAMABAD: At least one cop was martyred, two others including a woman died and many others were injured on Friday in a suicide attack in the Federal Capital’s I-10 area when a suicide bomber in a taxi blew himself as Eagle Squad stop the vehicle.
Besides Eagle Squad cop martyred in the incident two more death bodies (supposed to be suicide bomber and his facilitator woman) were received by PIMS Islamabad. The law enforcement agencies reached the spot and cordoned of the area after the explosion. Search operation and investigation was started.
The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Islamabad Sohail Zafar Chattha told the media at the blast site that members of the Eagle Squad stopped a suspicious taxi for checking when the suicide attacker detonated himself.
The DIG said that the attacker blew himself after he came back in his car. He added that a women and man were in the taxi when the explosion occurred.
“Police personnel saved Islamabad from a major disaster with courage and presence of mind,” said DIG Chattha. He added that four cops were injured in the attack.
Meanwhile, Director of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Dr Khalid Masood said that they have received 10 injured. He added that apart from the martyred cop, two other dead bodies had arrived at the hospital.
The martyred cop was identified as Head Constable Adeel Hussain.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, while terming the man and woman terrorists, said that they had plans to attack a “high value target”.
The security czar of the country said that the attackers had come in a car as they planned to enter an important building such as the Parliament House, Supreme Court, Prime Minister House, PTV, and high courts. He added had the car not been stopped then there would have been many casualties.
“This would have been a shame for our country if the attack had taken place at a high-value building or Red Zone area,” the interior minister told Geo News.
Sanaullah said that security forces were on high alert after the Bannu incident and Islamabad is always on alert.
Soon after the blast, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif summoned a report of the suicide blast and also condemned the terror incident.
The PM also paid tribute to the martyred policemen, adding that the nation pays tribute to its martyrs. He added that the whole nation will fight against terrorism.
“The plan to shed innocent blood has failed due to the action of the law enforcement agencies,” said the PM. He also announced a martyr package for the family of Head Constable Adeel Hussain.
Reacting to the blast, opposition leader Asad Umar said that the presence of the suicide bomber shows how fast the country is “heading towards destruction”.
“Terrorism was already spreading rapidly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Economy destroyed. law and order destroyed. Where are they leading the country in the greed for power?” tweeted Umar.
Read more: ‘High alert’ in Punjab amid constitutional crisis
