KOHAT, July 28: An assistant director and an inspector of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and a suspected suicide bomber were killed in two bomb explosions that took place near the official residence of General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Pakistan Army's 9th division here on Wednesday night.

Besides, two persons, including two inspectors of the IB and a security guard of the military police, were injured, according to official sources. Police and personnel of secret agencies who had gathered at the place of the first bomb explosion had to run to save their lives as the second blast shook the area.

In the second explosion, which took place 50 minutes after the first blast at 8.50pm, at least three officials of the IB, including the assistant director, were seriously injured.

The injured were rushed to the Combined Military Hospital where assistant director Baitullah Masud and inspector Khubaz Khan succumbed to their injuries. Mohammed Nabi's condition was stated to be critical. A sleuth of the military policy is also under treatment.

Official sources talking to Dawn said that the attacker was a suicide bomber. His body was also moved to the hospital. However, the Inter Service Public Relations Director-General Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan, talking to a television channel, rejected reports the impression that it was a case of suicide bombing.

The attacker, the military spokesman added, was killed when he was planting a home made device in a public park situated in the Kohat cantonment.

The bomb explosions close to the official residence of the GOC on Wednesday followed rocket attack on the air base of the Pakistan air force and quarters of the signal training centre of the Pakistan Army situated in the cantonment here a fortnight ago.