At least six people, including a woman were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Kala Bari, market in Saddar area of provincial metropolis Peshawar on Saturday morning. The explosion occurred in a vehicle in the Cantonment area. The vehicle which was parked near a mosque was badly damaged in the explosion. TV footage from the scene showed that nearby shops were also damaged in the explosion.
Rescue workers and police team rushed to the blast site and shifted injured people to nearby Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. Soon after the blast, security forces cordoned off the entire area and started search operation. However, no arrest was made. The blast was so powerful, as nearby shops were damaged. Emergency declared at all hospitals in the city.
Sources said the vehicle was already parked in the area. Police said they are ascertaining the cause of the blast and the material used in it. The hospital's spokesman Muhammad Asim said the condition of the injured persons was out of danger. Hospital Director Dr Khalid Masood said the people injured in the blast were being given emergency treatment. He confirmed that the injured persons were in stable condition.
According to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Qazi Jamil about eight to ten kilogram of explosive materials were used in the explosion. The explosives were planted in a white Corolla. Talking to newsmen, Bomb Disposal Unit chief Shafqat Malik said that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was concealed inside the door of the car.
"Although several come to this area to have breakfast, most shops were closed at the time of the blast," police said. Meanwhile, Spokesman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government, Ajmal Wazir strongly condemned that the attack and ordered that provision of best medical facilities to injured people.
Ajmal Wazir said that terrorists could not deter by such weak attempts. He said people and security forces had rendered countless sacrifices for establishment of peace in the country generally, particularly in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and tribal region.
Earlier, Minister for Information Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shaukat Ali Yousafzai condemned blast, saying that the explosion was aimed to create fear. "The blast was a soft target and we are not taking the incident lightly," he added. Yousafzai added a search operation is being conducted in the area.