=> * Investigators say four to five kg explosives use
* Investigators say four to five kg explosives used, two pistols seized from the crime scene
ISLAMABAD: Initial investigations into Benazir Bhutto’s assassination has revealed that suicide bomber who blew himself up close to the former prime minister was a clean-shaven youth unlike traditional bombers who sport beards, it is learnt.
Sources close to investigators said that a plastic surgeon had helped the police reconstruct the suicide bomber’s mutilated face.
They said that the bomber, aged between 22 and 25 years, was a clean-shaven youngster having a normal haircut. The appearance is different from that of popularly known suicide bombers who wear long hair and thick beard.
Sources said that the police had also seized a head with bearded face from the bombing site but it later turned out to be that of a PPP activist.
Sources said that the bomber’s identikit had been dispatched to National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) for identification. They said that forensic evidence revealed that the bomber exploded high explosives, weighing four to five kilogrammes and wrapped with hundreds of pullets and ball bearings. Sources said that the police found no striking sleeve used by the bomber for explosion. The sleeve provides vital clues to the investigators about the identity of groups involved in suicide attacks. Each group uses striking sleeve of its own for suicide missions, they said.
Sources said that the bomber used a 30-bore pistol and his three shots missed the target. They said that the police seized two pistols, one used by the bomber and other of an unidentified person, were in the police custody. Sources said that Rawalpindi Police barred Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials from examining the crime scene.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Rawalpindi Police Saud Aziz confirmed to Daily Times that the police had gathered ‘some’ evidence from the blast site but he refused to reveal details. He confirmed that almost four to five kilogrammes explosive was used in explosion. He said the police had so far made no arrest in connection with the attack. He said that it was too early to hold some individual or group responsible for the attack and only findings of the investigations would uncover identity of the culpable elements.
Source: Daily Times
Date:12/30/2007
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