PESHAWAR, Nov 21 (APP): At least eight persons were killed and another 23 injured in a powerful bomb blast targeting a funeral procession at Kotli Imam on Bannu Road in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, DPO Nasir Mehmood Sati said. “It was a roadside remote-control bomb that ripped through a funeral procession of Iqbal Shah near Kotli Imam, killing at least eight and wounding 23 others,” Sati told APP by phone. DSP Ehsanullah Khan and three constables were among the wounded, he added.

The mourners and relatives were accompanying the body of Iqbal Shah, who was gunned down by unknown assailants on Thursday night.  The funeral procession was heading towards the graveyard when a remote control bomb was detonated.

The district police chief said that elaborate security arrangements for the funeral had been made, but however, police can’t stop people from attending funeral prayers. He said the situation  in D I Khan is under control. He said that investigation has been ordered and elements involved in it would be brought to book.

The victims include Ali Hussain, Waqar Hussain, Sajid Hussain, Jamil Hussain and Arif Husain. The injured were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital D I Khan.

The explosion triggered panic among people as some angry protestors moved to streets, roads and resorted to aerial firing. They pelted stones on police outside the hospital and burnt tyres. The police used teargas and dispersed them peacefully.  Soon after the explosion, the grieved-stricken residents immediately shut down markets and shops in the city.

NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told reporters said that an inquiry has been ordered and elements behind it would soon be brought to justice.

He said the evidence recovered from the site of blast suggested that it was a remote control bomb attack. The Minister said the government will come hard against elements involved in this heinous, un-islamic and inhuman act.

The Minister strongly condemning the attack said that no Muslim can even think of exploding a bomb in mosque or funeral.  Eyewitnesses said the explosion was so powerful that its bang was heard in three kilometer radius.

The District Headquarters’ Hospital’s Dr Ashiq Saleem told APP that emergency has been declared in the hospital and doctors on leave have been called for duty. He said that condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical.