Sukkur: Area sealed off after ISI headquarters attack

SUKKUR: The Barrage Colony area of Sukkur was cordoned off while several persons were held during a search operation in various areas Thursday after five suicide bombers stormed the regional headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the colony, Geo News reported.

Four inculding ISI officials were killed and 35 others injured in the attack that took place shortly after Iftar last night.

Three militants were killed in the attack while police recovered another body of an attacker Thursday morning from the parking compound of ISI office after which the toll now stands at four.

Heavy contingent of police and Rangers were deployed at the site of the incident while the affected area along with the adjoining areas were sealed off.

SSP Sukkur Irfan Baloch told that a search operation was conducted over night in order to apprehend the culprits and several suspects were detained from different places.

Police told that the process of evidence collection was underway and that the blast was of severe intensity that dispersed the parts of the vehicle used in the blast.

On Wednesday, a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the gate of the ISI headquarters while two others detonated explosives rigged to their bodies inside the office. They said that an alleged bomber was arrested following the explosions, which damaged several vehicles and buildings and left a deep crater near the ISI headquarters.

A Rangers spokesman said that several security officials sustained injuries during the operation against the attackers. DIG Javed Odho said the blasts targeted a compound housing the offices of the DIG, commissioner and ISI. The officer said that the local ISI office might be the target of the attack.

He said that a shootout took place between the security officials and terrorists after the explosions. ASP City Maqsood claimed the arrest of two alleged terrorists and wounding several others.

ASP City Maqsood told the ISI office was cleared after conducting search and there was no terrorist found inside. He said the director ISI, DIG Sukkur and commissioner Sukkur were not in their houses at the time of the attack.