Daily Times

At least 12 policemen were martyred and more than 50 people injured in explosions at a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Kabal area of Swat on Monday, while two terrorists were killed and two cops injured during a raid in Lakki Marwat, police said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan said security officials were on “high alert” throughout the province. The provincial health department imposed a state of emergency at hospitals in Swat.

According to police, unidentified assailants started firing during which a suicide bombing took place and a second massive explosion occurred within seconds as a result of which houses were damaged up to an area of two kilometres.

The building of the police station has been completely destroyed due to the blasts, the police added.

Rescue 1122 officials said operation is being carried out to rescue the people trapped under the debris of the building.

District Police Officer Swat Shafiullah Gandapur termed the incident to be a “suicide blast”.

A police official told media that initial information showed the attack occurred around 8:20pm inside the police station premises which also housed the Counter Terrorism Department and a mosque.

KP Secretary Health Mahmood Aslam Wazir confirmed that 10 dead bodies and 53 injured including eight critical, were received by different hospitals in Swat.

He said that leaves of all healthcare staff have been cancelled and hospitals of district Swat were kept in a high alert position to respond to the situation that emerged after the bomb blast at CTD Station at Kabal. The Health Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has declared a health emergency in district Swat and kept all the hospitals on red alert. The Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar was also put on high alert to cope with emergencies.

He said that all staff in Swat was directed to report to their duty stations while the regional blood centre Swat was mobilized to provide blood and blood products immediately to the hospitals. He said medicines have been pooled-up to all the hospitals across Swat and all medics and paramedics plus auxiliary staff was available and well-equipped to provide relief to the victims.

Consequently, government officials condemned the blast and vowed to defeat terrorism.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast. He expressed grief over the lives lost and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also directed authorities to submit a report regarding the incident.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah condemned the blast and expressed sadness over the lives lost. “This scourge of terrorism will be uprooted soon,” he asserted.

KP Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan also condemned the blast and directed that the injured be provided timely medical attention. The provincial government would not abandon the heirs of those martyred, he assured. The blast was also condemned by Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori.