Russian-made explosives were used in Saturday’s suicide attack targeting Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao Khan, a police official said, as investigators launched a formal probe into the bombing. “All the federal government agencies will assist the team,” said Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani at a news conference in Peshawar after returning from the funerals of nine victims of the blast in Charsadda. He said that the bomber used eight to 10 kilograms of explosives and the death toll from the attack has risen to 28.NWFP Additional Inspector General (Investigation) Fayaz Toru, who heads the joint investigation team, told Daily Times that the explosives used in the attack were known as ‘MUV2’ and were of Russian origin. Sherpao sustained minor injuries on both his legs from shrapnel in the attack. Toru told Reuters that the bomber appeared to be in his 30s. “He is either an Afghan or belongs to our tribal areas,” he said. “The pattern of attack was similar to previous ones, all of which had links in our tribal areas.”
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| Either Aftab Khan Sherpao or Leslie Nielson, we're not sure which. |
A police explosives expert said the death toll would not have been so high had people not been standing when the explosion took place, as ball bearings and other shrapnel used in such explosives usually flies upwards.
Agencies add: Authorities were preparing a sketch of the suspect to help identify him, Reuters reported. Charsada police chief Firoz Shah told AFP that the investigators have found two Russian-made detonators and parts of the jacket the suicide attacker was wearing, he said.