KARACHI: An improvised explosive device (IED), weighing around half a kilogram, was defused near a police post on University Road, while two policemen were hurt in a firecracker attack on their van in Federal B. Industrial Area on Wednesday evening.

The IED was placed some 40 yards from a police post near the old Sabzi Mandi and about 400 yards from the central prison, said Gulshan SP Abid Qaimkhani.

After receiving information about the presence of the bomb, contingents of law enforcers rushed to the spot and called the bomb disposal squad that safely defused the device, according to officials. The IED, concealed in a soft drink can, contained ball bearings, added the officer.

He said it seemed that the motive of the suspects was to cause harassment. Around the same time, officials of three police mobile vans stationed near Masjid Quba in the Sohrab Goth area were conducting random spot checks on vehicles when some motorcyclists hurled a firecracker at them.

The firecracker hit the bonnet of one of the police vans before hitting the road, said SHO Mohammed Naeem Khan.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2015

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