Late on Monday night, a huge explosion inside the Swat’s Kabal police station claimed the lives of at least 12 individuals, including police officers.
Three civilians were among the at least 57 victims of the explosion, according to hospital sources.
Hours after a raid by the CTD in Lakki Marwat that resulted in the death of three suspected militants, an explosion that reportedly rocked the police station occurred on the grounds of the Counter Terrorism Department headquarters.
According to District Police Officer Swat Shafiullah, the explosion occurred inside the police station at 8:20 p.m. By the time this account went to paper, however, it was impossible to independently establish the explosion’s nature.Later that evening, however, DIG Malakand Nasir Mehmood Satti was quoted as saying that the tragedy was not the result of any terrorist action or suicide bombing, but rather “carelessness” according to the preliminary investigation. On the grounds of the police station, he said that the explosion happened at a weapon storage facility housed inside a former office of the Counter Terrorism Department.
However, the police officer stated that an investigation was still ongoing in light of new information.
A fire also followed the explosion, which destroyed the mosque inside the police station as well as the CTD office and its roof. Senior police officers claim that there were at least 20 policemen trapped beneath the collapsing roof as a result of the explosion’s ferocity.
An injured policeman at Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH), Imdad Khan, claimed that he and other officers were in the kitchen when the intense bomb tore through the structure. “The kitchen building partially collapsed. After the explosion, a sizable fire also broke out, he informed the media, adding that he had heard many explosions.
The DIG commented on the number of explosions, saying that since the explosion at the depot was caused by ammunition stored there, other smaller explosions also happened.
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Soon after the explosion, medical facilities declared an emergency, and Rescue 1122 personnel hurried to the scene. Following the explosion, security was increased, and law enforcement authorities blocked off the area.
The Swat Olasi Pasoon, meanwhile, declared a protest over the explosion in Mingora today.
The alleged murderer of a retired military officer who was shot dead at his home by armed men on Sunday was one of the three militants killed.
“A total of three militants, including Nouman, who had targeted retired colonel Muqarab Khan, were gunned down in an exchange of fire at the house of a militant commander Zubair of the Tipu Gul group in Paharkhel Tal area within jurisdiction of Lakki Marwat police station,” a senior CTD official revealed. Nouman was one of the militants.
According to the authorities, on the second day of Eidul Fitr, the ex-army officer, who had previously worked for an intelligence organisation, was hosting guests in his Hujra when two armed strangers burst inside and opened fire.
According to the officials, Col. Khan was killed while the armed men who had been holding other Hujra passengers prisoner at gunpoint managed to flee the area.
Police officers made an attempt to pursue the attackers, but they drove off on a motorbike and into the riverine woodland known as Darga.
The staff at Bannu CTD learned of a militant hiding on Monday, according to the officials. They added that it appeared that 10 heavily armed terrorists were well prepared for the encounter and that as soon as they arrived at the hideout, the militants began fire on them.
“Three militants, including Nouman, were killed and another militant, Tehseenullah, sustained injuries,” a top CTD official added.
He added that the CTD was of the opinion that further terrorists had been injured and might still be in the area, which is why police and security personnel had begun a search operation there.
According to the officials, Inspector Javed Iqbal and Constable Irfan of the CTD were critically injured and transported to the Khalif Gulnawaz Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital, Bannu.
Senior CTD officials stated that during the search operation, it was verified that the targeted death of the retired military commander was carried out by an organised militant organisation.
