Lashkar-i-Jhangvi behind Karachi CID building attack: Rehman Malik

KARACHI - The Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) was behind the terror attack on the Crime Investigation Department (CID) office building in Karachi on Thursday night, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said, according to television reports.

“The militants want to trigger panic and fear among the people,” the Dawn quoted Malik, as saying.

Speaking to media representatives, the minister vowed to root out terrorism from the country by taking strict action against the insurgents.

On Thursday night, militants had rammed a truck laden with some 1,000 kilograms of explosives into Karachi’s CID compound, which is only hundreds of meters away from the United States consulate, the provincial chief minister’s residence, and numerous luxury hotels.

The massive explosion ripped through the highly guarded Red Zone area in Karachi as it hit the police building, killing at least 18 persons and injuring another 138. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the blast.

It is noteworthy that just a day prior to the blast, the CID had disclosed the arrest of seven militants belonging to the banned LJ.

“The men were involved in the murder of several Shia doctors in the city,” SSP Aslam Khan told journalists.

Citing the initial interrogation of the suspects, Khan said that they were planning to carry out bombings on a procession of the Shia community in the city.

Karachi has seen a number of attacks since a Muharram procession was bombed on December 28 last year. (ANI)