Swat blast: Inquiry report rules out terror attack

A preliminary report of the explosions — which claimed at least 17 lives and injured more than 50 others — at a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Swat's Kabal revealed on Tuesday that the blast was not a result of a suicide attack.

According to the report, it is yet to be decided whether the explosions were a result of a short circuit or the result of human oversight.

The CTD police station in Swat had a warehouse in the Malakand region. This warehouse had 300 to 400 kilogrammes of explosives which exploded due to the explosions, the report stated.

The report also added that two suspected terrorists who had been brought in for investigation were also killed in the blast.

The explosives had also been brought from Bajaur, Dir, Swat, and Buner and also included mortar shells, IEDs, and detonators, the report stated.

Denying the possibility of the attack having been an act of terror, the report said that there had been no attack on the station, nor was fire opened.

The station was located in the safest place and there are two security check posts in front of the police station.

It added that five personnel were also present for the security of the police station. There was no report of anyone entering the police station.

Earlier, it had been reported there were two explosions in the station.

The report stated that the first explosion took place at 8:20am while the second explosion took place at 8:25am.

It added that the first explosion was minor, while the second explosion detonated all the explosives.

Talking to Geo News, CTD DG Khalid Sohail said that the incident took place in the old office of the CTD, and most offices and people had already been relocated to a new place before the explosions.

He said that only a few officers were present in the building at the time of the incident, adding that the loss of civilian lives occurred due to the outward force of the explosion.

Sohail said shock waves from the explosions caused "the complete collapse of the building".

Among those killed, three were civilians, five were prisoners, and nine were policemen. The hospital administration said that 10 out of the 51 people injured are in critical condition.

“Inquiry teams are still looking into what actually caused the explosions,” he said.

Sources within the police said that a two-member committee had been formed to investigate the munitions blasts at the CTD police station. The body includes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Secretary Abid Majeed and the Special Branch deputy inspector general.

The sources said that the committee has been directed to submit a report by completing the probe as soon as possible.

Following the blast, KP Police Inspector General Akhtar Hayat Gandapur said: "A series of two to three bomb explosions occurred. He added that "the majority of the victims" were policemen.

Footage from the site showed a body being stretchered from the rubble as a smattering of small fires blazed in the darkness.