BAJAUR: A barber’s shop was blown up, and two other outlets were damaged in a blast in Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur district on Saturday night, police and residents said on Sunday.
They said the incident occurred in the Tali area at about 11.30pm when an explosive device planted outside a barber’s shop by unidentified miscreants went off with a bang.
They told Dawn that the barber’s shop was blown up while two adjacent shops were damaged in the explosion. They, however, added that no loss of life was reported in the incident, as all the outlets were closed at the time of the explosion. They said that residents, along with watchmen, rushed to the scene after hearing the explosion and launched a search for those responsible.
However, they said they could not trace the culprits despite several hours of effort.
Confirming the incident, Jamal Shah, DSP Salarzai circle, told reporters that a team from Salarzai police station rushed to the area and cordoned it off. He said three shops were damaged in the blast, with the barber’s shop being the prime target.
The official, however, did not specify the nature of the blast and said an investigation was under way to identify those behind the bombing. Residents told Dawn that there was also a small library in the barber’s shop, established some five years ago.
‘Rehman Salarzai, who wanted local youth to be attracted to book reading, had set aside space for books in his shop and announced a 30 per cent discount for customers who read books while waiting for their turn,’ they said.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, terrorists attacked a police post in Salarzai tehsil with a hand grenade on Saturday night.
No loss of life was reported, police and residents said on Sunday.
They said that the incident occurred in the Mata Shah area. An official at Salarzai police station said that the attack prompted police personnel at the post to respond, forcing the attackers to flee.
DSP Jamal Shah told reporters that no loss of life was reported in the attack, which led to heightened security measures in the area.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place a day after an attack on the house of Prof Salim Jan, pHncipal of Government Degree College, Salarzai, in the Chargoo area on FHday night. Correspondent