ISLAMABAD, June 13: A suicide bomber killed two people and injured four others when he blew himself up in a bank in sector I-8 on Monday.

It was the first suicide strike in the federal capital in about 18 months. The last attack took place at Sain Bota Darbar, Shakrial, on Dec 24, 2009.

The blast damaged several buildings in the area and destroyed many vehicles.

The CCTV footage of Silk Bank showed the bomber, wearing shalwar qamiz and aged between 16 and 18 years, used a handbag full of explosives instead of a suicide jacket.

He first approached MCB Bank and talked with its security guard, then moved towards Silk Bank and tried to enter it, but its security guard intercepted him.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Bani Amin told Dawn that when Mohammad Bashir, the guard, tried to overpower the bomber he fell on the ground and then blew himself up.

He said because the bomber was on the ground the impact of the blast was not widespread.

Guard Mohammad Bashir died 30 minutes after being taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment.

Silk Bank operation manager Zulqarnain Nujhaid, sales officer Hasib Ahmad, security guard Maqbool, sanitary worker Shani and Mohammad Bashir were injured in the blast.

Police and rescue workers rushed to the site and took the injured to hospital where they are out of danger.

DIG Amin said the legs and head of the suicide bomber were found. His face was blackened, but his features suggested that he might be a Pakhtun hailing from tribal areas.

Senior Superintendent of Police Tahir Alam Khan said that over seven kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.

The I-8 Markaz lies within a residential area where senior officers of intelligence agencies and armed forces live. Under-cover installations of law enforcers and intelligence agencies were also located near the blast site.

In a speech in the Senate, Interior Minister Rehman Malik paid tribute to the security guard of the bank for sacrificing his life to save others and announced to confer Sitara-i-Jurat on him posthumously.

The minister said the government would take care of his children and provide job to his elder son or brother in police or Federal Investigation Agency.

AFP adds: “It seems to be a suicide attack. We have found the head and the body parts of the bomber,” city police chief Wajid Durrani told reporters.

“One security guard is confirmed dead while two others are injured,” he said.

“I was returning from lunch when I heard a deafening noise,” said Chaudhry Yassir, who works in another bank nearby, said.

“I saw the guard. It’s difficult to describe his condition. He was being rushed to the hospital but there was no hope.

“The same building has a wedding hall in the basement but there was no function at the time of the blast,” Yassir added.