Islamabad, November 24
Two near-simultaneous suicide bombings killed at least 30 people, most of them military personnel, and injured many others in Pakistan’s garrison city of Rawalpindi today, triggering tensions ahead of the return of exiled former premier Nawaz Sharif to the country tomorrow.
Military spokesman Major-Gen Waheed Arshad said the blasts occurred almost simultaneously at 7.45 am local time one at a check post near the gate of the army General Headquarters and another targeting a bus carrying defence ministry personnel near a key ISI facility on the Faizabad-Murree Road.
At least 30 people were killed and many injured in the twin bombings, security sources were quoted as saying by the media. However, Arshad said 15 people had died in the blasts, adding that both suicide bombers were in cars. Some reports suggested that the death toll could be up to 35.
President Pervez Musharraf, who cited growing extremism and a series of suicide attacks as one of the
main reasons for imposing emergency, condemned the twin bombings.
Such acts could not deter the government from continuing its fight against terrorism, state-run APP news agency quoted him as saying.
Musharraf directed authorities to investigate the attacks and crack down on the “masterminds responsible for this heinous crime”.
In the attack near the General Headquarters, two soldiers manning the check post in Saddar area were injured when the suicide attacker blew himself up, Arshad said. Earlier reports had said one of the soldiers had died.
— PTI
