THATTA - Police and bomb disposal squad on Sunday thwarted a terrorism plot by defusing a bomb fitted on a track near Jhungshahi railway station in Thatta.
The bomb, carrying 500g explosive, was planted on railway track some 3km away from the station. Trains were stopped for three hours but have now been allowed to operate again.
Thatta SSP Shabbir Sethar confirmed the news and said the police were tipped off about an explosive near the station early Sunday morning.
SSP Sethar said that 10 minutes after the police found the bomb, a train was scheduled to cross the track. The Shalimar Express was halted before it reached the track. He said the explosive had a remote-control device attached to it, leading them to believe the people who planted it were nearby.
The area - that was cordoned off - has now been opened after a search operation. Trains resumed their journey to their destination after the law enforcement agencies along the BDS combed and cleared the tracks for resumption of rail traffic.
The BDS was called in from Hyderabad to defuse the device.
The police said seven suspicious individuals were taken into custody during a search operation at the railway station and surrounding areas after the bomb was found.
Bahauddin Zakariya Express was stopped outside Jungshahi railway station when the bomb was found. The explosive could have targeted Hazara Express and Zakaria Express which were scheduled to run on the route, but a possible tragedy was averted by timely action of the authorities.
