RAWALPINDI: At least five people were killed and 15 others injured on Friday night in a bomb explosion at the entrance of an imambargah where an Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) Dua (prayer) was in progress.

Initial reports said the blast had been carried out by a suicide attacker who came on a motorcycle. However, in a late night statement, DCO Rawalpindi Sajid Zafar denied those reports and said the blast had been caused by either a time device or a bomb that had been planted near the imambargah.

The death toll could increase as two of the injured were said to be in critical condition.

Among the dead was a policeman, identified as Amanullah. Two other cops were among the injured. The four others who died were Ali Mehdi, Javaid Mehdi, Haider Kazmi and Qasim Ali.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to an eyewitness, a man arrived at the Abu Muhammad Rizvia at Chitian Haddian area on a motorcycle and after parking the bike, he walked towards the imambargah.

One of the participants of the congregation, identified as Mohammad, got suspicious about the man’s intention and stopped him from entering the imambargah, where at least 250 people, most of them men and children, were attending the dua. In the meantime, he added, the blast occurred.

“There was darkness in the area at the time of the blast because of electricity loadshedding,” Azam Zaidi, who lives in a nearby house, told Dawn.

He said chaos and panic engulfed the locality after the explosion as the injured were screaming and human body parts flew all around.

Windowpanes of nearby houses were smashed from the impact of the blast, which was heard miles away.

According to police, the blast was caused by a time device or a bomb planted near an Imambargah

Police and emergency services moved to the scene of the blast, as did the army and Elite Force commandoes who cordoned off the area.

The dead and the injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital.

Two of the injured were said to be in critical condition.

Ironically, the owner of the imambargah, Aon Muhammad Rizvi, was murdered in his house near Haideri Chowk sometime back.

Badar Alam, one of the injured, told Dawn from his hospital bed that he was attending the Mehfil-i-Milad when the explosion happened at around 9.30pm.

Bomb disposal experts said they were examining the scene of the blast to ascertain the material used in the explosion.

Three women were among the injured.

Twelve of the injured were shifted to the DHQ while the five were treated at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

Published in Dawn January 10th , 2014

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