Taftan suicide bombers to be identified through DNA

Published June 10, 2014
Photo shows a woman who was injured in Sunday's suicide attack at a hotel in Taftan, located near the Iranian border, taken care by medical staff after she was brought for treatment in Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar June 10, 2014.—Reuters Photo
Photo shows a woman who was injured in Sunday's suicide attack at a hotel in Taftan, located near the Iranian border, taken care by medical staff after she was brought for treatment in Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar June 10, 2014.—Reuters Photo

QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to determine through DNA testing the identities of four suicide bombers who killed 24 Shia pilgrims in Taftan earlier this week, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

Akbar Hussain Durrani, the Home Secretary Balochistan told Dawn.com that police and levies had collected the suicide bombers’ body parts, which will be sent to Lahore for the DNA tests.

“We will send their body parts for DNA test(s),” Durrani said. He said an FIR was already registered against the unknown perpetrators of the attack under an anti-terrorist act at the Taftan police station.

Durrani said that a meeting on Tuesday evening held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Balochistan, Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad, thoroughly reviewed the law and order situation in the aftermath of the twin suicide bombings and carnage at the Karachi airport.

Balochistan Police chief, Mushtaq Sukhera, officers of secret services, Frontier Corps, Airport Security Force, Civil Aviation Authority and other departments also participated in the meeting.

“We have put all forces on high alert at all airports and other vital national installations after the Karachi tragedy,” the Home Secretary said.

He said the meeting decided to launch a crackdown against vehicles with black windows and to take strict action against those displaying weapons in the city.

The government’s decision to tighten security measures has come in the aftermath of a series of attacks in different parts of Balochistan against Shia pilgrims and security forces.

The province has been under the grip of violence for over a decade.

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