At least two Rangers troops were killed and 21 others people including Rangers personnel injured in a powerful suicide blast at the Sachal Rangers Headquarters located in North Nazimabad, block-B area of the city on Thursday morning.
Talking to media, SSP Khurram Waris confirmed the two killings and said it was a suicide explosion, adding that at least 150 kilogram explosives were used in the blast.
The bomber drove his explosive-packed Shehzor mini-truck into the building from Gate-3 and blew up at 7 am causing the entire headquarters to be damaged, followed by a fire.
The blast at the Sachal Rangers Headquarters behind Hanif Hospital, was so powerful that a portion of the headquarters collapsed with all its glasses smashed and the nearby buildings including those of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), PTCL office and a hospital, were harmed.
Rooftop of the KESC office caved in and its windowpanes broke.
Three fire-fighting vehicles took part in extinguishing the fire.
The formidable blast sound was heard far and wide over miles even in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
Law-enforcers including police in a large number turned up soon after the blast. Also, the rescue and relief teams including ambulances reached the spot on time.
The Rangers personnel cordoned off the premises. And, the schools in the area were closed.
According to the Rangers spokesman, two Rangers Personnel including the suicide bomber himself were killed and 21 others injured in the blast and three to four people among the injured were critically wounded.
Police said the injured include at least eight rangers and three policemen and some other civilians.
Two suspects were arrested, said the Rangers spokesman.
They were arrested while making videos of the blast victims at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, he said.
The two suspects claimed they were policemen, but actually they were not, he added.
The Rangers spokesman said that the building targeted was a residential building inside the headquarters.
Police said that there were an estimated 150 people inside the building when the blast took place.
The suicide bomber failed to reach the building before the explosion, said Inspector General Sindh Fayyaz Laghari.
Otherwise the casualties could be much higher, he said.
Bomb disposal squad officers said that the bomber hid the explosives under the vegetables on the mini truck and an estimated 150 kg explosives were used.
Parts of the body of the suicide bomber have been collected to determine his age, they said.
Both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Ashraf condemned the attack shortly after the blast was reported.
Karachi suicide blast kills 2, injures 21
