Terror Angle Ruled Out In Blast At Pakistan Police Station, Toll Rises To 12

Cops have ruled out the terror angle in the blast at a police station in Pakistan as the toll rose to 12.

The death toll in the explosions that took place in a counter-terrorism ammunition depot in northwest Pakistan on Monday has risen to 13.

Source : AFP

The death toll in a blast police station in Pakistan's Swat district on Monday has risen to 12, as reported by state media. Two explosions occurred in the department in northwest Pakistan in which more than 50 people were also injured. The police have ruled out any terror angle in the matter and sai the blast was probably caused by an electric short-circuit. The Inspector General of Police for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Akhtar Hayat Khan said that the explosions rocked the counter-terrorism office in northwestern Swat Valley. He also said that the security officials in the province were on high alert. His spokesman said in a statement issued later that ammunition caught fire, "most probably due to an electric short-circuit. No evidence of an attack from outside has been established so far," as quoted by Reuters.

The collapse of the building caused a power outage, the extent of which is yet to be determined, according to the regional chief of the counter-terrorism department Khalid Sohail. According to Sohail, the explosions did not appear to be a suicide attack or other act of terrorism, as reported by Reuters.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah condemned the attack and expressed sadness over the loss of life. He asserted that the scourge of terrorism would be eradicated soon. This attack is the latest in a series of incidents as Pakistan grapples with a surge in terrorism, with militants targeting law enforcement officials in their latest offensive.

Security agencies have responded by increasing their operations against terrorists. Post-incident videos showed policemen and medics running with stretchers and carrying the injured to ambulances. Details of the attack are yet to be revealed. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker CM Azam Khan condemned the blast. He said the provincial government would not abandon the families of those killed in the attack.  

In February, the terror outfit Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, also known as Pakistani Taliban, attacked a police station in Karachi in a similar manner and killed three officers. They first effected explosions at the police station and then opened fire. A total of three militants were involved in the attack. The Pakistani authorities eventually regained control of the premises after an operation that lasted several hours.

The Counter Terrorism Department killed the mastermind of the attack, Iriadullah, in a shootout last month. His accomplice, Abdul; Waheed, was also killed in the CTD operation, reported Geo News.