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Series of blasts rock Karachi

* Scores injured in 7 blasts within 90mins
* Sindh police chief says blasts aimed at fanning ethnic tensions
* CM claims only two attacks were bombings, rest were grenade attacks
* Suspends senior police officials

KARACHI/LAHORE: Up to 50 people – including around seven children – were injured in a series of seven low-intensity explosions in two busy neighbouring areas of Karachi on Monday.

The blasts came within 90 minutes of each other, striking residential and commercial areas. No deaths have been reported. Two of the blasts occurred in Banaras, injuring 16 people. The third explosion, which injured five people, ripped through a mini-truck in North Nazimabad. Ambulance drivers said eight people were taken to hospital.

The fourth bomb was affixed to a motorcycle in Qasba Colony. A fifth explosion occurred near a children’s school in Hyderi. A policeman was injured in the sixth blast in Manghopir. The seventh and final blast occurred in Pak Colony, injuring seven people.

Ethnic strife: Sindh Police Inspector General (IG) Sallahuddin Babar Khattak said the blasts were fairly mild with investigation teams headed by Deputy IGs having been dispatched to all affected areas.

“Apparently the purpose was to create panic in the city. There is also a possibility that the people who planted the bombs wanted to fan ethnic tensions in the city,” Khattak told AFP. He said it appeared that 150-200 grammes of explosives were used in each blast.

Crime Investigation Department sources claimed that timed devices were used in the attacks, adding that this likely ruled out the involvement of jihadi elements. Khattak also noted that the areas struck have a predominantly large Pakhtoon population and the headquarters of the government’s coalition partner Awami National Party is located at Banaras Chowk.

Tension gripped several areas affected by the bombs, with enraged mobs pelting cars with stones, burning tyres and chanting anti-government slogans, an AFP reporter said. However, no major riots were reported.

Only 2 bombs: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that of the seven blasts, only two were bombings while the remaining five were hand grenade attacks, according to Aaj TV.

Suspension: Shah also suspended the TPOs, DPOs, SPOs and SHOs of the police precincts struck, reported Geo News. He announced compensation of Rs 50,000 for each of the injured. faraz khan/afp/daily times monitor

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