KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Authorities have detained nine individuals, including a woman, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the deadly blast near Karachi airport that claimed three lives, including two Chinese nationals, according to investigators on Tuesday.
As the probe progresses, officials confirmed that geo-fencing of the area has been completed, and evidence collected from the blast site has been sent for forensic analysis.
The explosion, which injured a Chinese national and over a dozen others, is suspected to have been a suicide attack. The government has attributed the incident to the outlawed Majeed Brigade.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed shock and sorrow over the attack, stating, “Pakistan remains committed to safeguarding our Chinese friends. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure their security and well-being,” in a post on X.
The Chinese embassy condemned the attack and confirmed that a convoy from the Port Qasim Electric Power Company was targeted near the airport.
Ongoing investigations have revealed that authorities are analyzing the data of six suspicious cellphone numbers, along with their call records, as part of the geo-fencing effort. They also disclosed that the terrorist did not carry a mobile phone during the attack, and the route taken by the vehicle used in the blast has been identified.
It was further revealed that the attacker had passed through the airport before the explosion, though no formal case has been registered yet.
Investigators have gathered details of 16 vehicles damaged in the blast and announced that the crime scene will be cleared soon. Additionally, they identified the car used in the attack, which was registered to Shah Fahd, a resident of Noshki, Balochistan, prompting the expansion of the investigation into that region.
In a separate development, a notification was issued suspending a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) assigned to the Special Branch’s ASU and China Desk at Jinnah International Airport.
