THREE BOMBS BLASTS IN KARACHI ON 16 OCTOBER 2002

Photo credit and caption:
Injured police officer rushes out of the police station, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2002 in Karachi, Pakistan. Three small parcel bombs exploded within minutes of each other in the volatile port city of Karachi on Wednesday, injuring at least nine people, police said. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sabir)

Parcel Bombs Injure 8 in Karachi

Three Parcel Bombs Go Off in Southern Pakistan City of Karachi, Injuring at Least Eight

The Associated Press

The first bomb exploded in the Crimes Investigations department at a police station, slightly injuring two policemen, said Sindh province police chief Syed Kamal Shah. The second went off at a provincial government office and the third at the Artillery Ground police offices, he said.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary rangers rushed to the scenes and quickly surrounded the buildings where the bombs detonated.

At the Crime Investigations office, a large pool of blood was on the floor, windows were shattered and a table was blown apart. The bomb exploded in the face of the police official who opened the package, witnesses said.

The second bomb, which appeared to be the largest, exploded at the government offices as a security guard attempted to open the parcel.

"This was the more powerful explosion because it caused more damage," deputy inspector of police operations Tariq Jamil said.

City Police Chief Shaukat Shah said the third bomb, which exploded in the Artillery Ground offices, blew off the hand of an office worker and caused considerable damage to the room he was in.

Blood and pieces of flesh were scattered around, he said.

One parcel bomb sent to the Crimes Investigation department did not explode, said Manzoor Mughal, a senior police investigator. It appeared the explosive was a grenade set off by a string when the package was opened, he said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings, Interior Ministry official Brig. Javed Iqbal Cheema said in Islamabad.

The Crimes Investigation department has played a key role in arresting dozens of members of Islamic militant groups responsible for a recent spate of attacks on foreigners.

Police and government workers have been ordered not to open any delivered packages, police officials said.

Karachi, frequently hit by sectarian bombing and shooting attacks, has been the scene of four major violent incidents this year: the massacre of seven Christian office workers last month, the June 14 bombing of the U.S. Consulate, the May 8 suicide bombing outside the Sheraton Hotel that killed 11 French engineers and the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Karachi, a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism with a population of 12 million, is Pakistan's largest city and major port.