KARACHI, Jan 2: At least four people were wounded in a grenade attack on a cellphone franchise in North Nazimabad on Monday morning.

The Mobilink franchise was targeted on Shershah Suri Road near Hyderi Market within the remit of North Nazimabad police station.

On Dec 22 a more deadly attack was carried out on a Telenor franchise in North Nazimabad, where two employees of the outlet were killed and two others wounded. The attackers had also set fire to the shop, but timely rescue efforts by passers-by saved the shop from destruction.

Police said that at least two men riding a motorcycle lobbed a hand grenade at the shop and escaped.

Two security guards, identified as Zafar and Younus, were wounded in the attack. They were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment. At least two other wounded persons were rushed to a private hospital.

A heavy contingent of law-enforcement agencies, including police and Rangers, reached the site and sealed off the area after the blast and vehicular traffic was diverted to the adjoining roads.

The blast at the cellular franchise triggered panic in the usually crowded marketplace.

Police obtained the CCTV footage from the outlet which shows the two suspects wrapped in shawls riding out of the area on a motorcycle.

Citizens-Police Liaison Committee chief Ahmed Chinoy said he suspected a single group was carrying out attacks on cellular phone franchises.

He said from appearances the suspects matched with the suspects involved in the Telenor franchise attack.

“We have received a complaint from another cellphone franchise that they have received threats from unknown persons. Interestingly, that outlet is also situated in the same general neighbourhood,” another official at the CPLC told Dawn.

“It seems that they are focusing on cellphone franchises in a specific area,” the official remarked.

The officer-in-charge of the Hyderi police post, Fasihuddin, said a somewhat low-intensity hand grenade was used in the attack. Police have also obtained the footage from the CCTV camera installed at the franchise.

Bomb disposal squad personnel also visited the site and declared the incident a hand-grenade attack.

BDS officials said a Russian-made hand grenade was used in the attack.

Police registered a case (FIR 01/12) against unidentified attackers under Section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act, and Sections 324 and ¾ of the Explosives Act on a complaint of security chief of the franchise Manzar at the North Nazimabad police station.