DERA ISMAIL KHAN - At least 10 persons including an advocate of the high court were killed and 40 others injured on Friday in a remote-controlled bomb blast on a funeral procession, sparking violent protests in the city. District Police Officer DI Khan Nasir Mehmood Satti, while talking to this correspondent, informed that a funeral procession of the deceased Shahid Iqbal was passing on Dera-Bannu road near Kotli Imam amid tight security arrangements, when a bomb exploded. As a result, 10 persons were killed while 40 others including a DSP and three police constables were injured. The injured were immediately shifted to district and teaching hospital, where a state of emergency was declared. To a question, the DPO said that the initial investigations indicate that it was a remote controlled bomb of 5kg weight, which had been planted by unknown terrorists near Kotli Imam on Dera-Bannu road. He said that the funeral procession consisted of 50 to 60 persons. The DPO said that it was a terrorist incident and it cannot be termed a sectarian violence. He said that local leaders of both the sects were peaceful persons and some unknown third criminal force was exploiting the issue of so-called sectarianism. He said that nobody was above the law and any person who was found trying to disrupt the peace or damage public property would be dealt with an iron fist. However, about the question of whether a shoot-at-sight order has been given, he declined to comment. Talking about the situation of the area, he said that law and order was fully under control and local people needed not to be worried about it. On this occasion, he appealed to the local citizens to immediately inform local police about any suspicious person or activity. Eyewitnesses, while talking to this correspondent, said that local residents severely protested against this terrorist incident and set ablaze 10 vehicles including the motorcar of senior adovate Khalilur Rehman, 20 motorbikes and 15 to 20 shops including famous Ghulshan Bakers near Saddar Bazaar. The enraged protesters also resorted to aerial firing and forced the local traders to close their shops and business centres. Soon after, local police completely cordoned off the entire city and established roadblocks on all the sensitive points and brought the situation under control. The sound of aerial firing continued to be heard till filing of this report.