KARACHI, June 25: A four-kilogram remote-controlled bomb placed outside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in a Bahadurabad area failed to detonate, though a minor explosion of its detonator did take place that caused panic in the neighbourhood on Saturday, officials said.

The investigators said that the target of the bomb seemed to be the ICRC office though it was closed due to the two-day weekly holiday.

However, they suspected that the people behind the botched attempt were not “expert” in carrying out such an attack, nor they had any similarity with other militant outfits traced out so far.

“We have witnessed for the first time that glycerine explosive was used in the bomb,” said SP Raja Umer Khattab of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), tasked with investigating cases of acts of terrorism.

“Another fact which emerged that the explosive was not of any better quality which failed to explode despite the timer of the bomb which was made of a washing machine equipment. However, the detonator worked.”

He said that some four-kilogram of explosive was found in the bomb which also had nuts and bolts placed on the bottom of the container carrying the explosive material to increase the devastating effects of the device.

“The detonator exploded that caused some panic in the area and left marks on the nearby walls, but it did not cause any further damage,” he added. “The material used in the attempt is being examined and a proper investigation into the incident is under way,” said SP Khattab.

The Bahadurabad police later registered an FIR (163/2011) under Sections 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and Sections 324 (attempt to murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code against unidentified suspects on behalf of the state.