Two bombs defused in Karachi

Karachi: Two bombs, apparently aimed at causing maximum damage in a crowded market place here, were defused on Sunday, police said.

The locally-made bombs, hidden in deodorant tins attached to mobile phones, were left outside a shop in Firdous market, one of the most heavily-populated areas of Karachi, that traded in chemicals, senior police officer Najmul Hasan said.

"The mobile phones were apparently supposed to detonate these devices when the market was crowded but since today was a holiday another shopkeeper spotted the suspicious tins and reported it to the police," he said.

He said the bomb disposal squad was called immediately and they managed to evacuate the area and defuse the bombs.

Hasan said the bomb disposal squad was investigating the items used in making the bombs and trying to trace their origin.

This is the fourth instance where a catastrophe has been avoided in Pakistan during the past one month.

In Islamabad, a security guard stopped a suicide bomber from entering a five-star hotel and both died in the scuffle.

In the North Western Frontier Province's Capital Peshawar, a suicide bomber killed 15 people outside a Shia mosque the next day and 24 hours later another suicide bomber was intercepted by a police guard in Dera Ismail Khan and both died on the spot.

Last week, another militant died at the Islamabad airport while trying to flee after making an unsuccessful attempt to enter the VIP lounge area of the airport before he was stopped by the security guards.

The locally-made bombs, hidden in deodorant tins attached to mobile phones, were left outside a shop in Firdous market, one of the most heavily-populated areas of Karachi, that traded in chemicals, senior police officer Najmul Hasan said.

"The mobile phones were apparently supposed to detonate these devices when the market was crowded but since today was a holiday another shopkeeper spotted the suspicious tins and reported it to the police," he said.

He said the bomb disposal squad was called immediately and they managed to evacuate the area and defuse the bombs.

Hasan said the bomb disposal squad was investigating the items used in making the bombs and trying to trace their origin.

This is the fourth instance where a major catastrophe has been avoided in Pakistan during the past one month.

In Islamabad, a security guard stopped a suicide bomber from entering a five-star hotel and both died in the scuffle.

In the North Western Frontier Province's Capital Peshawar, a suicide bomber killed 15 people outside a Shia mosque the next day and 24 hours later another suicide bomber was intercepted by a police guard in Dera Ismail Khan and both died on the spot.

Last week, another militant died at the Islamabad airport while trying to flee after making an unsuccessful attempt to enter the VIP lounge area of the airport before he was stopped by the security guards.