Karachi:Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in this southern port city of Pakistan, after police raided their hideout Friday foiling a major terror strike during the Muslim festival of Eid, officials said.

On a tipoff, police raided a house in the Baldia Town area where Islamic militants from the banned Lashkare Jhangvi group were holed up in the western part of the city, mostly inhabited by Pukhtoon labourers from restive North West Frontier Province.

The rebels opened fire at the law enforcers with assault rifles and hurled five hand grenades, spreading terror in the city's congested area.

After running out of ammunition, they blew themselves up.

City police chief Wasim Ahmad said the terrorists were possibly planning to carry out suicide attacks during the busy Id holiday shopping.

The security forces later retrieved the body of the city's leading city transporter, Shaukat Afridi, from the rubble of the house destroyed in the blast.

Afridi, who had a supply contract with NATO forces in Afghanistan, was kidnapped around three months ago. He was shot in the head.

Pakistan has witnessed several suicide attacks in recent weeks believed to have been carried out by militants from the country's tribal areas, where Pakistani security forces have launched operations to eliminate Taliban and Al Qaeda hideouts.

Last Saturday the country witnessed its worst suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel in the capital Islamabad, killing more than 60 and injuring some 250.

 

Source : IANS