Daily Times

MARDAN: At least 12 people including four lawyers and two policemen were killed and another 54 injured when two blasts occurred on Friday, targeting the Mardan District Courts that were crowded with lawyers and other people.

“A small blast suspected to be a hand grenade took place outside the courts, which was followed by a bigger, more powerful suicide blast,” a local source said.

Eyewitnesses said that the attacker first hurled a hand grenade at the policemen performing security duty at the entrance of the courts. He then tried to infiltrate the building, which was jam-packed as many people were visiting the courts on Friday before the weekend. However, an injured policeman shot the terrorist, forcing him to explode his suicide vest before entering the district courts.

The bodies and the injured were shifted to the nearby District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ). Three bodies and at least 19 injured were shifted to the Mardan Medical Complex (MMC). Six injured were said to be in life threatening situation. Rescue 1122 Officer Haris Habib told media that six people had been reported dead and the number of injured was more than 40.

Police sources added the incident took place outside the courts around 10.10am. They said the number of dead and injured would have been very high had the suicide attacker entered the courts.

Emergency was declared at both the hospitals in Mardan, as police cordoned off the area and secured important buildings in the surrounding of the site of incident. Local witnesses saw police marksmen deployed at rooftops in the surroundings while police and army launched a combing operation in the area. Police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) had been carrying out search and strike operations against terrorists in Mardan and its surrounding villages since early 2016. Many wanted terrorists were taken into custody during the operation.