KARACHI, July 24: An employee of the Jamia Al Rasheedia was killed and eight others, including four teachers, were injured after the vehicle carrying them hit an explosive device planted along the roadside a few kilometres away from the seminary near Gulshan-i-Maymar off Super Highway on Saturday morning.

The van (CK-6286), carrying nine staff members of the seminary, landed a few feet ahead due to force the explosion, hitting a car (AFY-617) coming from the opposite direction. The Suzuki Alto car was also damaged due to the explosion.

The car's driver, Furrukh, was also wounded. All the injured were shifted to another vehicle and were taken to the Aga Khan Hospital.

Mohammad Azam, an electrician of the seminary, died on way to the hospital. The injured including Maulana Mohammad Anwer, Maulana Bilal Ahmed, Maulana Abdul Rehman Mujeeb and Maulana Abdul Sattar. All of them are teachers of the seminary, Azmat and Irfan work in its finance department while Khalid works in its maintenance department.

Terming the explosion a terrorist act, the city police chief, Tariq Jameel, told Dawn so far no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. He said that the van was the target.

A one-and-a-half-foot-deep crater was formed after the explosion at the spot where the device was placed. The bomb weighed around one kilogramme and was connected with a timer's device as well as with a remote-controlled device, a senior police official said, adding that it was an improvised explosive device.

It seems that terrorists were present nearby taking cover of wild bushes to ensure a precision hit, said a senior police official.

The blast was heard at the New Sabzi Mandi from where Rangers were the first to reach the spot.

A watchman of a nearby private property, requesting anonymity, told Dawn about the presence of some people along the road since Friday night. It appeared that they were searching for something there, he added.

The body of Mohammad Azam was sent to his native town of Rahimyar Khan.

It may be recalled that the remains of the slain US reporter of Wall Street Journal, Daniel Pearl, were recovered from a farmhouse belonging to the Al-Rasheed Trust in the first half of 2002. Later, the trust was proscribed by the US government.