25 June 2004	Friday	06 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

DADU, June 24: The Regional Police Officer, Hyderabad, has said Wednesday's bomb blast at Wapda towers of high transmission lines near the Taga village was a terrorist act.

Talking to journalists at damaged tower No. 698 on Thursday, RPO Mohammad Bachal Sangri said police had initiated an inquiry into the incident. He said police had started investigations as to which group was involved in the sabotage. He said police had taken parts of bombs from the spot and were trying to find a clue.

The police officer said he had constituted three teams, led by SP, investigation, Tipu Sultan, TPO, Dadu headquarters, Mohammad Rajab Lashari, and TPO, Dadu town, Lal Bux Abro, for the inquiry.

He said he had visited the area where the bomb squad staff had informed him that heavy bombs had been used in the blasts. He said police officials had tracked footprints of two terrorists for half kilometre from the damaged tower to the Sita Road but could not follow the footprints further.

The assistant engineer, high transmission lines, Guddu-Dadu circuit, Gulsher Shar, told journalists that eight bombs had been exploded at both towers of the circuit-I and II.

He said Wapda supplied power to all grid stations of the country through this main line. The director, Power Line Construction Company, Rao Mubarak, said 50 experts had started maintenance work on the damaged tower.

He said electricity supply would be restored from the circuit-I when the tower was replaced. He hoped the work would be completed in four days.

He said the partially-damaged tower would also be repaired. SP Tipu Sultan said an organization, Sindh National Liberation Movement, had owned responsibility for the blasts in press statement.