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Twin bombers hit Navy War College
Lahore, March 05, 2008: The terrorist threat in the country reached new heights on Tuesday, as
two suicide bombers attacked the Pakistan Navy War College (NWC), killing six
people and injuring 23, Rescue 1122 and Edhi officials said.
However, an
Inter-Services Public Relations press release stated that three junior-ranked
officials of the NWC were martyred, while 16 were injured. Lahore Police said 18
people were injured in the fourth suicide bombing in Pakistan in the past five
days.
CCTV: According to intelligence sources, a closed-circuit camera
focused on NWC's gate recorded the first suicide bombing in its entirety. They
said the explosion caused the camera's lens to break, due to which the second
and third blasts were not recorded.
Capital City Police Officer Malik
Muhammad Iqbal said the bombers targeted NWC's back entrance, which is situated
in GOR-I and leads to a parking area. According to Rescue 1122 and Edhi
officials, the first bomber rushed in at around 1pm on Tuesday and blew himself
up at the back entrance when the gatekeeper, Akhtar, was opening the door for
two officials. Based on eyewitness accounts, they said the second attacker then
ran past the now-mangled gate and blew himself up in the parking lot at around
1.05pm. The officials said the second explosion caused four cars and two buses
in the parking lot to catch fire, causing a third explosion at around 1.11pm. A
fourth blast was also reported but it could not be confirmed.
Akhtar and
Naval official Shaukat were killed on the spot, while 23 injured were taken to
city hospitals, including the CMH and the Services Hospital. Edhi officials said
four more people died at CMH.
The Interior Ministry had initially
reported that a car bomber had rammed into a Navy bus in the compound, but later
agreed with the police account, reported AP.
A press release issued by
the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad stated that the body parts of the suicide
bombers had been found. The police chief confirmed that the body parts and other
debris had been sent for forensic analysis.
An eyewitness, Syed Asad, who
was passing through GOR-I, said he rushed towards the sound of the first
explosion as soon as he heard it. He said he saw several bodies, and heard the
cries of several injured, when he reached the college compound.
High
alert: Inspector General Police Punjab Dr Syed Azhar Hassan Nadeem has ordered
police in the province to remain on high alert following the attacks.
Meanwhile, President Pervez Musharraf, Caretaker Prime Minister
Mohammadmian Soomro and Pakistan People's Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari
condemned the bombings.
The president and the premier expressed their
sympathies to the families of the affected. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral
Muhammad Afzal Tahir also extended his condolences.
The attack came as
the chief of the US military held talks on regional security with President
Musharraf and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani in Rawalpindi. Daily Times
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