KARACHI: Two Rangers checkpoints in Essa Nagri and Gulshan-i-Iqbal were attacked with improvised explosive devices lobbed by motorcyclists on Sunday morning, prompting the Rangers to blame the attacks on a ‘militant group’.

The blasts damaged the structure of the posts but did not cause any damage to human life, officials said.

Two miscreants riding a motorcycle threw an explosive device, which hit the boundary wall of the paramilitary force’s checkpoint in Essa Nagri on Sir Shah Suleman Road, said Gulshan SP Dr Fahad Ahmed.

The incident occurred at around 7.35am and five minutes later another explosive device was thrown at another checkpoint, near Moti Mahal in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

Four and three Rangers personnel, respectively, were manning the checkpoints but they remained unhurt. The device did not contain ball bearing balls, the officer said and added that two team might have carried out these acts of “sabotage and terror”.

Replying to a question, the Gulshan SP said these IEDs were different from those used in the attack on the Mobina Town police station recently, which was a cracker-like explosive device.

“This appears to be sophisticated explosive material,” said Dr Fahad.

The officer suspected involvement of banned militant outfits in the attacks, but did not rule out the possibility of involvement of other elements.

Bomb Disposal Squad official Abid Farooq told Dawn that Sunday’s IED blasts at Rangers posts resembled the IEDs used in the attack on Rangers checkpoints near Gujjar Nullah in Nazimabad recently.

The BDS official added that both IEDs weighed around 500 grams each, which exploded with a bang and were detonated with the help of matchsticks.

‘Militant group’ inciting people to violence

Without naming any party directly, the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, on Sunday alleged that a ‘militant group’ had been trying to spread terror and violence in Karachi for the last few days and was inciting “different people” to violence.

In a statement issued to the media, a Rangers spokesperson said that some people had contacted the paramilitary force and identified such purported heinous moves.

The spokesperson said Sunday’s “cracker attacks” on theirs checkpoints and “baseless” allegations against the Rangers were also part of that move.

The Rangers official did not mention that who had levelled the allegations against them. However, earlier Muttahida Qaumi Movement Coordination Committee senior deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar had accused them of torturing party workers held in the Central prison to make them shift their loyalties.

Rangers official said that the paramilitary force had taken notice of the moves and vowed to arrest such elements very soon.

The paramilitary force promised to provide “complete protection” to people cooperating with law enforcers.

The Rangers urged the citizens pay no heed to such “anti-state elements” and inform them about such elements on Rangers’ helpline through a call or an SMS.

Raids

Rangers personnel conducted targeted raids in the North Nazimabad and Malir areas and detained three suspects affiliated with a “notorious militant wing”. An alleged targeted killer was among the held suspects.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2016