KARACHI: Five people, including a teenager, were hurt in a grenade attack in the Kharadar area on Wednesday afternoon, according to police and hospital officials.

The attack was carried out just a day after law enforcers had taken several suspects into custody in the same locality.

Kharadar SHO Nadeem Haider told Dawn that two suspects riding a motorcycle hurled a hand grenade at a paan stall near Mehran Bakery, causing injuries to five persons, who were later taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment. They were identified as Gulistan Faqeer, Yaseen Mehboob, Quwat Khan, Mohammed Fazal and Saad Mohammed. Their condition was stable, said senior medico-legal officer Dr Qarar Ahmed.

The Kharadar police said they were investigating the matter to ascertain the identity of the attackers and their motive.

A police source later disclosed that the grenade attack was related to non-payment of extortion. The source added that the alleged extortionists was affiliated with the Wasiullah Lakho-led gang of Lyari.

Published in Dawn September 29th, 2016