In Peshawar, terror has struck once again when a bomb blast on Thursday killed eight people and injured 33.
The city was witnessing a period of relative calm after the last suicide bomb attack two months ago June 11 which killed 39 people and injured 100 when Thursday’s attack on a super market in a residential area brought terrorism to the front stage once again.
The attack also raises doubts about the police’s claims that the security situation in the city was under their control.
According to the police, a van carrying Frontier Reserve Police (PRF) personnel from Tehsil Gorghathri barracks to Civil Secretariat was attacked by militants through an IED at Lahore Gate, killing five people and injuring 21 others. Two hours after this attack when the rescue work was being finalised, an alleged female suicide bomber first threw a hand grenade at the police and later blew herself up, killing two more people and injuring 12.
“We stay away from bazaars but they are coming closer to our houses now,” Shukat, a resident of the Lahori gate said, adding “where do we hide?” He also questioned the commitment of the police to the cause of fighting terrorism in the city.
The police officials, however, said they had taken strict measure and these attacks happened because terror attempts had been foiled elsewhere. “Various attacks were foiled in Dara Adam Khel, Bara, Khyber Agency and Mohmmand Agency in the last couple of days and these attacks were reactionary,” a police official told Pakistan Today.
Militants were trying to smuggle suicide bombers inside the city on the previous night, Senior Superintendent Police Ijaz Khan told Pakistan Today
Witnesses of the first bomb blast said “There was a deafening blast and then the police personnel and civilians were lying injured on the road”.
Tahir, whose shop was partially damaged and who resides on the floor above his shop, said he heard a loud explosion and the doors and windows of his house got destroyed while his baby was also injured.
Various militants have been captured by the government but have not been punished because of lack of evidence. Muslim Khan, spokesperson of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan TTP Swat chapter, Sufi Mohmmad, chief of the banned Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Mohammadi and number of others terrorists were in the custody of government but have not been punished.
Resident of the Lahori Gate said that top priority of government should be to tackle terrorism as Peshawar would continue to suffer if nothing is done.