PESHAWAR: Six persons, including four children, suffered injuries when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded with a bang on the busy Warsak Road here on Tuesday morning.

Three of the victims are brothers, police said SSP Operations Kashif Abbassi informed media persons that the IED was planted in the cemented block at medium of the Warsak Road near Pesh­awar Public School and College. “Apparently the police van of the Michani Gate police station was the target, which passed through the blast site just a few seconds before the explosion,” he said.

According to officials at Lady Reading Hos­p­ital, six woun­ded persons were brought to the hospital’s emerge­ncy department. Of them, three siblings were identified as Ihsanullah (11), Ahmad Jan (13) and Javed Khan (15), sons of Muj­ahid Khan. While they were admi­tted to different wards, Saad Ahmad (18), Yousaf Khan (23) and Zakirullah (12) were discharged after being given treatment, the officials said.

The SSP said that the police van was on a routine patrol on Warsak Road where mostly private schools and colleges were located.

Citing the report of the bomb disposal unit, the officer said that 4kg explosives were used in the IED.

“We have started analysis of CCTV footage and will reach the elements involved in the blast soon,” he said.

Warsak Superintendent Police Arshed Khan told the media that the blast occurred near the Peshawar Public School.

The investigation was underway and the area had been cordoned off, the SP said.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2023