ISLAMABAD, Aug 1: Two explosions a day before Ramazan on Monday panicked the people living in Bhara Kahu, though it turned that one was because of destroying explosives and the other was a “cracker blast”.

According to a handout issued by the capital’s administration, under the “supervision and presence of experts, explosives were disposed of in the area of Bhara Kahu…recovered from the anti-social elements from time to time.”

The first blast was heard around 11:30am. Senior police officials, bomb disposal squad and the ambulances rushed to the spot – a bridge near Athal Chowk.

Police said the explosive was detonated at the Murree Road’s divider, which created two feet deep crater. According to the bomb disposal squad, the blast was caused by a cracker, adding that it had less than a kilogram explosive of low intensity.

Terming it an “improvised device”, police’s initial probe said the cracker was blown up deliberately.

Police searched for the injured in and around the area but found no one. However eyewitnesses claimed that at least one person was injured while some vehicles, including a Pick-up, were damaged. Police suspect that the injured man may be behind the cracker blast, adding that it seems the “people” behind the explosion wanted to spread terror among residents.

A similar blast on June 12 this year in Mulpur injured three people.

The second blast was heard near Simly Dam shortly after the Ramazan moon was sighted.

But quickly it was clarified that it was because of destroying explosives seized in 2008 in a raid in Dhok Kala Khan.

A senior police officer said the personnel of security forces along with the bomb disposal squad destroyed explosives weighing 900kg.

About 200kgs of explosives were thrown into the waters of Krung Nullah, while 700kgs were blow up.

He said about four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) made in a pressure cooker were also destroyed.

The explosives were recovered when police and security officers had impounded three vehicles during the raid three years back.

Later, the explosive leaden vehicles – two Land Cruisers (LXH-7860 and JH-175), and a car (JS-574) – were shifted to village Pehont located in the area of Nilor police station and parked at an agriculture land adjacent to the Anti-Terrorist Training Centre, Simily Dam.

In a letter to District Police Officer Rawalpindi on March 18 this year, the capital’s Senior Superintendent of Police said “vehicles are full of explosives material and any untoward incident could be take place as they are lying in an open place.” The letter had requested to remove the vehicles to some safer place immediately.

Earlier a letter by a villager – Abdul Majeed – to SSP Islamabad in March alleged that the vehicles were brought and parked there by Federal Investigation Agency.