HAND GRENADE ATTACK AT KARACHI’S KHARADAR

Karachi (HRNW): Three people have been injured in a hand grenade attack at Kharadar Kaghzi Bazar, Karachi, Waqt News reported.
According to eyewitnesses two motorcycle riders threw the bomb and drove away.
Security personnel have surrounded the area and a search operation has been initiated. The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital.

Sources have told Waqt News that the attack was in retaliation to shopkeepers refusing to give extortion money. “The extortion money has been doubled from Rs 200 to Rs 400, which is why the shopkeepers refused to give the money,” sources revealed.

“This attack is their way of intimidating the local shopkeepers into paying up.”

This is the latest in a series of grenade attacks to jar the port city since the turn of the year. On March 18, Rangers posts at Moti Mehal, Rashid Minhas Road and Essa Nagri were targeted by unidentified bikers. Two Rangers personnel were injured in the attacks.

Nine people were injured in a grenade attack on January 16 in Lyari. On February 12 coordinated attacks were launched in the areas of North Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town and Liaqutabad Town, with one policeman being injured.
A large scale Rangers operation has been underway in Karachi against militants, banned organizations and militant wings of political parties. Since the inception of the operation the rate of target killing incidents and extortionist has decreased. Elements involved in the city’s gang war have been killed and arrested by the security agencies.