Two hand grenade attacks at central jail Karachi leave 4 wounded

KARACHI: Two back-to-back hand grenade attacks at central jail building Saturday evening left at least four policemen injured, thousands of inmates freaked-out, and a myriad of local residents shocked, Geo News reported.

According to sources, at least six bike-riding gunmen lobbed two grenades at the Office of the Inspector General of Prisons in the central jail and fled away.

The central jail of metropolis, home to some of the high-profile prisoners, is situated in the heart of Jamshed Town, a thickly settled urban center.

According to eyewitnesses the attackers also fired shots before hurling grenades at the IG office.

A source said that the grenades though landed inside the jail building, however, multiple layers of security barriers saved the so-called maximum security prison building from a serious damage or security breach.

The explosions, which plunged the urban center, where the central jail is located in panic, were loud enough to be heard miles around.

According to sources the attack damaged the central jail building partially.

"Fearing for their lives and well being, even the prisoners became frightened after the attack, which rocked the jail building", said he.

According to provincial minister for prisons the injured were out of danger.

A large number of people, most of them female relatives of the prisoners, showed up outside the central jail and protested against the attacks.

They argued with the policemen on guard at the jail gate as to how come did the security agencies let the assailants carry out such an attack as this one.

"The lives of our jailed loved ones are in danger. If the attackers can come this far this time around they can also go "too far" next time", said a female kin of one of the inmates.

Later, it was reported that the police resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesters, who started pelting them with stones.

The protest and stoning was still in progress by the time of filing this report.