Daily Times

PESHAWAR: An improvised explosive device (IED) targeted the vehicle carrying officials of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) here on Monday injuring three cops and a passerby in outskirts of the city.

Talking to media, CTD officials said three officials of the CTD and one passer-by sustained injuries in IED blast that targeted their vehicle at Khatko Bridge when they were en route to a girls’ school where an improvised explosive device had exploded.

As a result, CTD officials Akbar Ali, Israr and Nizar sustained minor injuries besides a passer-by Waliur Rehman. They were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital for medical assistance whereas the explosion damaged their vehicle.

Police said earlier, an IED went off outside a girls’ primary school in Urmar village Shamshato Road where two IEDs were found installed outside the school, out of which one exploded while the other was defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS).

The school gate was damaged in the blast as no casualty was reported. The CTD officials were going to the site of the explosion when their vehicle was targeted near Khatko Pul. The security officers cordoned off the entire area and launched a search operation.

On February 22, Pakistan Army launched anti-terrorist offensive following a surge in recent terror attacks in the country, the latest being the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine suicide attack that claimed lives of almost 100 people.

According to the Army, the operation aims at indiscriminately eliminating residual and latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made thus far and further ensuring security of the borders.

Country wide de-weaponisation and explosive control are additional cardinals of the effort whereas pursuance of the National Action Plan will hallmark of this operation, stated press release by military’s media wing.