KARACHI: One man died and four other people were injured as a remote-controlled blast detonated near a bus terminal in the Lea Market area on Wednesday, Senior Superintendent Police-City Fida Hussain said.

The intended target has not yet been ascertained.

The blast had earlier been reported by television channels as a cylinder explosion.

The Bomb Disposal Squad said no pellets had been used in the bomb, which contained half a kilogram of explosives.

An investigation has been initiated into the incident.

Earlier this week, Karachi's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) escaped an attack after an improvised explosive device (IED) lobbed into the parking lot of the CTD building failed to explode. The wires of the IED disconnected after it landed inside the premises.

The ‘operation’ against criminal elements in Pakistan’s commercial hub was initiated back in September 2013 and has gained momentum in 2015. The Rangers-led operation against criminal elements in the city focused on targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism in Karachi during its first phase.

The second phase, which was announced in early November, will target terrorists, contract killers and their facilitators involved in attacks on law enforcement personnel, particularly police, lawyers and witnesses.

Karachi, a teeming metropolis of around 18 million people, is rife with political, ethnic, sectarian and criminal violence. Proscribed organisations have also used Karachi as a base to generate funds for furthering their anti-state agenda.