At least 17 persons including two women were killed and 28 other injured in a powerful car bomb explosion in the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp at Jalozai, district Nowshera on Thursday. District Police Officer (DPO) Nowshera Hussain Khan confirmed the killing of 17 people and wounding of 30 others in the incident.
The explosive material was planted in a car that was exploded near the administrative block of the Jalozai IDPs camp. The explosion occurred when the IDPs were gathered for getting food (ration). Jalozai located at 30-kilometres south-east of the provincial metropolis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was hosting one of the largest camp of Afghan refugees after the intervention of Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Presently, the facility is used for the accommodation of internally displaced persons from the tribal region.
Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) had stated the use of about 30 to 35 kilograms of explosive material in the blast. The explosion also resulted in damaging three nearby vehicles and windowpanes of the nearby buildings. After the incident, personnel of the law-enforcement agencies rescue teams rushed the site and shifted the injured and bodies to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar and nearby Pabbi Hospital. However, a spokesman of LRH, Peshawar confirmed the receiving of four bodies, including two women. They were identified as Humaira wife of Waheed, Tamana wife of Ghaffar, Wajid son of Karim and Wasim son of Tahir while five other identified as Hasham Ali son of Nimber Khan, Kinar Khan son of Hussein Khan, Shams-ur-Rehman son of Lala Jan, Raz Mohammad son of Mohammad Sadiq and Sher Rehman son of Ashiq Khan succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
The injured were included Abdul Karim 50, Abid 28, Hamid Zaib 42, Barani 25, Binish 24, Farooq 15, Fatima 26, Haseeb Shah 48, Imran 45, Islam 30, Ismatullah 35, Jalad 35, Jamal 35, Javed 29, Javeed 15, Kabil Min 65, Khalilullah 32, Khayal Rehman 35, Mohammad Tayyab 30, Mujeeb 40, Romana 24, Shahab 25, Abdur Rehman 30, Zeeba 25, Ismail 15, Omar Gul 30 and Ismail 12 while the identity of the 28th injured could not be ascertained.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah has strongly condemned the incident and asked the Political Agent, Khyber Agency Mutahir Zeb to determine the losses caused to the victims of terrorist attack at Jalozai Camp on Thursday and ensure early release of the financial assistance to them.
The Governor has also pointed out that there can never be any substitute of the loss of precious lives. However, he added, provision of financial assistance is meant to ease the difficult situation for them to some extent and make sure that they are not alone in this hour of trial rather the entire nation stand along with them. The Governor while expressing his profound grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives has termed the incident as inhuman. He said elements involved in this gory incident would not escape from clutches of law and would be brought to justice soon.
He prayed Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to members of the bereaved families to bear these losses with patience. He directed the hospital administration for provision of best medical facilities to injured and prayed for their early recovery.
Meanwhile, ANP chief, Asfandyar Wali and provincial president, Senator Afrasaib Khan here Thursday strongly condemned bomb explosion at Jalozai IDPs camps in Nowshera and expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives. In a condolence message here, the ANP leaders said those elements, who killed innocent and poor people gathered for foods in Jalozai IDPs camp, could not escape from the clutch of laws. The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ANP and police had rendered great sacrifices in war against terrorism and their sacrifices could not be forgotten, they said.