KARACHI: In a daring attack, a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Japanese nationals in the Landhi area Friday, but the timely action by police and security guards protected the foreign nationals.
According to officials, the suicide bomber was killed in the attack, while his accomplice was gunned down by police. A private security guard accompanying the Japanese nationals succumbed to his injuries, and two bystanders were injured.
The Japanese nationals, travelling in a convoy of three cars, remained unhurt in the attack, thanks to the swift response of the police and security personnel.
CTD in-charge Raja Umar Khattab said the attackers had been following the Japanese nationals’ vehicle before the attack, suggesting they had carried out reconnaissance to identify the target and location.
According to Khattab, the Japanese nationals were traveling in a three-car convoy when the suicide bomber and his accomplice, who were already in the area, launched the attack.
The suicide bomber struck when he saw the cars, but the attack did not achieve its intended goal. The accomplice then began firing indiscriminately, but was quickly neutralized by officials. Khattab said the terrorists fired around 15 rounds and were also carrying grenades.
Fortunately, the foreign nationals escaped unharmed thanks to the swift response of the police and security guards.
In response to the suicide attack, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon to submit a comprehensive report on the incident, including details on the terrorists, their facilitators, and the explosives used in the attack. The CM emphasized the need for immediate security arrangements for foreign nationals, stating, “Anti-national elements will not be allowed to disrupt law and order at any cost.”
Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon strongly condemned the attack, praising the police’s timely action, saying “the timely action of police has foiled the ambitions of the terrorists. The nefarious actions of the terrorists will not be allowed to succeed.”
Sindh Interior Minister Zia ul Hassan Lanjar directed that the security personnel injured while escorting the Japanese nationals must be given immediate medical treatment. He ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and issued a high-security alert across Sindh.
Reuters adds: No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the rare attack on Japanese nationals, however, with authorities identifying them as engineers working for the management of an export processing zone in the port city.
The Japanese have been moved to a safe place in police custody, the spokesperson, Abrar Hussain Baloch, said, although the bystanders and a guard with the visitors suffered injuries.
“The police mobile unit, which was nearby, responded to the attackers quickly and the security guards of the foreign guests responded immediately,” Baloch added.
In Tokyo, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told a press conference that one Japanese national was confirmed to have been injured and the government was checking details, having flagged the risk to other citizens in Pakistan.
One of the two motorcycle-borne attackers set off explosives tied to his body as soon as the vehicle slowed, counter-terrorism official Raja Umar Khatab told reporters, but failed to strike his target. That prompted his accomplice to start shooting at the vehicle.
“I think he fired some 15 or 16 shots,” Khatab said, adding that private security guards with the foreigners and a nearby police patrol returned fire and killed the second attacker.
The men had followed the Japanese group’s vehicle for some time before the attack, he said, with authorities suspecting they carried out reconnaissance to identify the target and location of the attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, praising the timely police action for saving lives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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