KARACHI: Investigators on Saturday launched a probe into the recovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) from a train at Cantonment Railway Station on Friday night.

The IED, fitted with a timer and over two-kg explosives, was concealed in a school bag. It was defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS).

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza said that all parts of the IED as well as a clearance certificate and samples of the explosive material sent for a lab analysis by the BDS to the railway police.

He said that the “time bomb” did not explode as apparently its time device had malfunctioned.

He said that the time was set at 12noon on Friday and it meant the IED was supposed to explode when the train was near Sukkur / Rohri. He said that it was not exploded due to some malfunction and the train had safely reached Karachi from Peshawar at 8:20 pm.

The DIG believed that someone had left the school bag containing the time bomb when the train left Peshawar.

He added that the motive appeared to be creating chaos and fear among the people.

Counterterrorism official Raja Umer Khattab, however, told the media that it was possible that someone had left the IED at Jungshahi, Landhi or Drigh Road railway stations. He said that it was not kept in the train from a faraway place. He said that the railway authorities should be appreciated for spotting the suspicious bag on time.

He said that although trains had been targeted in the past, this appeared to be a new strategy to carry out attacks by putting school bags inside trains.

He said the IED did not contain ball bearings etc, which meant that in the case of possible explosion, it might have triggered a fire in the train.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2023