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SWAT: The death toll resulting from multiple explosions that ripped through the building of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Kabal on Monday night has risen to 17. According to DPO Shafiullah, 12 security personnel were among those who lost their lives in the incident.
The police have stated that they have found ‘no evidence’ of an external attack or any sabotage work. Initial investigations suggest that the blast was caused by a short circuit which triggered a fire in the armoury, where weapons are stored.
CTD DIG Khalid Sohail, while addressing media persons, revealed that the incident occurred in the old office of the CTD, where ammunition caught fire due to negligence. He dismissed the possibility that the explosions were suicide attacks or other acts of terrorism, stating that the shock waves had caused “the complete collapse of the building.”
“There was a store where we had a huge quantity of weapons, and until now, we believe that there might have been some blast in it due to some carelessness,” Sohail said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Inspector General Akhtar Hayat Khan said security officials were on “high alert” throughout the province.
According to CTD DIG Khalid Sohail, the explosions leveled the building of specialist counter-terrorism station, and police sources said the death toll is feared to rise as the rescue and cleaning operation was still underway.
The incident occurred amidst a series of high-toll militant assaults on police across the country, many linked to the domestic Taliban branch, and initially sparked fears of a fresh attack. Footage from the site showed a body being stretchered from the rubble as a smattering of small fires blazed in the darkness.
Meanwhile, the provincial health department imposed a state of emergency at hospitals in Swat.
