KARACHI, Feb 7: A police constable was killed and his two colleagues suffered serious injuries when a bomb hit their van in Orangi Town here on Thursday.

The bomb which also injured six passersby had been detonated by remote control.

Meanwhile, armed attacks continued unabated in the city and 15 people, including two brothers and a doctor, were killed.

The doctor was reported to be a ‘sympathiser’ of the Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat. The ASWJ has called for a strike on Friday against the wave of sectarian killings tormenting the city. The call has been supported by over a dozen Sunni organisations and traders and transporters. In a rare gesture, the Shia Ulema Council also backed the strike call.

The powerful explosion near Orangi Town No. 5 hit the Mominabad police van at around 9pm.

“When the mobile reached near Badar Chowk, which is quite close to the police station, the roadside bomb went off,” said DIG West Javed Odho.

“The bomb disposal unit is examining the scene of the blast, but it appears that the bomb was planted in a pushcart and was attached with a remote-control device.”

The blast site was not far from an Imambargah which had come under two successive bomb attacks during Muharram in November last year.

Investigators said it was early to say which group was responsible for the attack.

“The blast killed head constable Fazal Abbas. Constables Ameer Khan and Mohammad Saleem were injured,” said a Sindh police spokesman.“Sindh IG Fayyaz Ahmed Laghari has directed for additional deployment of police personnel around mosques, Imambargahs and other places during Friday prayers,” the central police office said in a statement.

He ordered DIGs to intensify targeted operations in their areas against criminals and improve intelligence sharing system and vigilance.

The Karachi Tajir Ittehad, a platform of 350 wholesale and retail markets, and the Karachi Transport Ittehad have announced to close their businesses.