PESHAWAR: A man was killed and two others, including a girl, were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off outside the residence of a businessman here on Wednesday.

Rehmat Khan, one of the injured, said he was passing through the Gul Bacha G street when the blast occurred, throwing him to the ground.

An official of Shah Qabool Police Station said the IED had been planted outside the residence of a businessman, Mushtaq, at Sarki Gate, apparently to target him.

He said three people suffered injuries. They were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital, where one Mukhtiar died. Mukhtiar had only recently opened a small grocery shop in the area. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Rehmat and Mehvish were admitted to different wards of the LRH for treatment.

A police official said the blast may have been carried out by extortionists to warn the business community. An official of the Bomb Disposal Unit said the IED, weighing about 500grams, had been packed in a black polythene bag and left at the entrance of Mr Mushtaq’s house.

Meanwhile, gunmen killed a young man and dumped his body in the fields. A police official identified the victim as Abdullah, a resident of Pir Bala.