Four officials, four terrorists dead in Sukkur ISI regional HQ attack

SUKKUR: Five suicide bombers stormed the regional headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), killing at least four officials and injuring 35 others in the Barrage Colony, shortly after Iftar here on Wednesday. An ISI official and an employee of the Commissioner House were killed in the attack.

Sources said that 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 two militants blew themselves up while three were shot dead by the forces. He said that the site of the blast had been cleared after the attack, which took place at Iftar. The spokesman said that as many as five terrorists launched the attack on the ISI office.

He further 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.

Earlier, police and law enforcement agencies rushed to the site of the blasts and cordoned off the area. Emergency has been declared in all the hospitals of the city.

Reports said the blasts caused blackout in the area which created problems in rescue work.

The first powerful explosion and later the low intensity blasts and firing damaged the houses of the local people.Police and Rangers personnel were summoned from Khairpur, Ghotki and other districts. There were also reports that some people were trapped under the collapsed houses.

The dead were identified as Ehsan Ali, an employee of the Commissioner House, and Azizullah, an employee of the ISI. The injured included five children, and 11 women.SSP Sukkur Irfan Baloch said the attack was sudden and unexpected. According to reports, the attack happened 30 minutes after Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah left Sukkur.

ASP City Maqsood said the ISI office has been 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.

Our Islamabad correspondent adds: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Sukkur.

In their separate statements, they expressed sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace of those who embraced martyrdom as a result of the terrorist attack.They also prayed for the early recovery of those injured in the tragic incident.