Security high alert in Rawalpindi post suicide blast

RAWALPINDI: Security in Rawalpindi was put on high alert on Wednesday following the suicide blast outside an imambargah on the premises of Gracy Line, the most sensitive locality in the garrison area adjacent to the Chaklala Airbase on Tuesday night, Geo News reported.

Details have it that law enforcement agencies beefed up the security in the city after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside an imambargah after breaching the security measures on Tuesday night that killed four persons.

Police is occupied with the investigation and gathering evidences from the blast site while grief can still be felt in the air. Police has also extended the scope of investigation into the incident.

Police is also continuing investigation with the suspect arrested from the site after the blast and was transferred to undisclosed location.

Moreover, the funeral prayers of the two mourners identified as Waseem and Ghulam Shabbir were also offered today.

The sources told that the higher officials also held a meeting today in Rawalpindi to review the security situation post suicide blast.

It may be mentioned that the blast claimed the lives of four people, including a police official, and over 15 got wounded, including the SHO of Airport Police Station. The unfortunate episode occurred at around 9.45pm on Tuesday night near the Imambargah Asna-e-Ashri during a Majlis.

City Police Officer (CPO) Akhtar Umar Hayat Lalika told that the suicide bomber was riding a bike and a joint team of the local police and security volunteers of the imambargah intercepted him for checking.

He said that five police officials, including the SHO Airport, were wounded critically while a sub inspector was killed on the spot.

The CPO said that two people standing with the SI at the search point were also killed in the explosion. He said that a team comprising SP (CIA) and SP (Pothohar) would probe the matter while forensic experts had collected evidence from the crime scene.

The police claimed that stringent security steps were taken in and around the imambargah and a heavy contingent of police personnel was deployed around it. But religious leaders and mourners termed it a security lapse, saying the suicide bomber had entered the most sensitive area of the garrison without any resistance and hit his target.

Eyewitnesses told the media that a bike rider appeared from the roadside and tried to enter the premises of the imambargah without offering himself for body search but the police and volunteer guards of the imambargah intercepted him. They added that the suicide bomber stopped his bike and blew himself up at the entry point located about 40 metres from the SPD Hostel.

The Rescue-1122 reached the scene and provided medical aid to the victims and shifted them to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital.