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‘Same group behind two suicide attacks in Islamabad’

By Azaz Syed

ISLAMABAD: A joint team of intelligence agencies, the Federal Investigation Agency and the Islamabad police investigating the suicide attack at Aabpara Market on Friday have come to the conclusion that a single group is behind the two suicide attacks that took place in the capital in the last 10 days, sources privy to the investigation told Daily Times on Saturday.

The sources said that the investigation team had found extraordinary similarities in the material used in the two suicide attacks – the first on July 17 at F-8 Markaz and then on Friday at Aabara Market. They said that the investigation team had found out that the bomber used five to six kilogrammes of explosive material in Friday’s suicide attack. They added that the bomber’s face found from the blast site was identifiable and the police would issue its pictures in a few days. The sources said that the bombers’ group was likely to carry out more attacks in the city.

Agencies add: Meanwhile, another victim of the Aabpara Market blast died on Saturday, raising the death toll to 15, hospital sources at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences told APP. “Punjab police constable Rizwan Abid died at Federal Government Services Hospital early on Saturday morning,” said Dr Farrukh of PIMS.

The government has decided to deploy Rangers in the federal capital permanently due to the deteriorating security situation, Online reported. The government has also decided to keep Punjab police personnel in Islamabad for an indefinite period. Senior Islamabad police officer Shahid Nadeem Baloch told AFP that the police had set up extra pickets at all entry and exit points of the capital. Scanners and video cameras were also being installed at markets and other public places, Baloch said. He said no arrest had been made so far in the ongoing investigation. He added that there was a likelihood of more suicide attacks to come.

A senior militant source said the attack showed that Islamic militants had “ready-made suicide bombers who can be launched at short notice”.

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