KARACHI: A bomb killed at least two people and wounded eight others in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi Friday, police and hospital officials said.
The blast reportedly damaged buildings and triggered panic in the densely populated Malir district.
“A timed device planted underneath a pushcart exploded with a big bang, killing two people and wounding eight others,” senior police official Irfan Ali Bahadur told AFP.
Nobody has so far claimed responsibility but Karachi, the country’s economic and commercial hub, has long been in the grip of militant, sectarian and ethic violence.
Police cordoned off the area after the explosion and bomb disposal officials were called to the scene.
Seemi Jamali, a senior doctor at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center where the dead and wounded were brought, confirmed the toll and said two of the injured were in a critical condition.
Violence in Pakistan has declined dramatically in recent years following a series of military operations along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, but militant groups are still able to carry out deadly attacks.
Bomb kills two, injures eight in Karachi
Bomb kills two, injures eight in Karachi
- The blast reportedly damaged buildings and triggered panic in the densely populated Malir district
- Nobody has claimed responsibility so far
India to make Rafale jets with France in boost to defense ties, Macron says
- India last week gave clearance to buy 114 more Rafale jets for country’s air force, besides planes, missiles
- Rafale jets flown by the Indian Air Force were in the spotlight during India’s conflict with Pakistan last May
NEW DELHI: France and India are entering a new era of defense cooperation with plans to jointly produce Rafale fighter jets as well as helicopters, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, adding France also hopes to sell more submarines to India.
India’s expected order for another 114 Rafales is a “new step forward” in defense ties between the two countries and France hopes to see this replicated with submarines as well, Macron told reporters at the end of a three-day visit to India.
“On Rafale, what we want to do is expand. India confirmed a few days ago its willingness to command a new bunch of Rafales... 114... and to co-produce in India,” Macron said.
The Defense Acquisition Council of India’s defense ministry last week gave initial clearance to acquire 114 more Rafale jets for the air force, besides other planes and missiles, months after the worst fighting in decades between India and Pakistan.
So far, India has purchased 36 Rafales for its air force and ordered another 26 marine versions of the jet for the navy.
Details of the Rafale deal including plans for co-production, expected to be sealed after technical and commercial negotiations, are yet to be made public. Indian media reports have said that the 114 jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation are expected to cost 3.25 trillion rupees ($35.65 billion).
They have also reported that up to 90 of the 114 jets could be produced in India with a joint venture partner who is yet to be identified.
“Rafale is absolutely key,” Macron said. “I hope we will do it on submarines. We offered additional capacities.”
The Indian navy operates six French Scorpene submarines and local media reports say there are plans to order more.
On Tuesday, Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the first H125 helicopter assembly line, made in India by a joint venture between Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems, as well as a plan to jointly produce HAMMER missiles in India, by Safran and India’s state-owned Bharat Electronics.
Rafale jets flown by the Indian Air Force were in the spotlight during India’s conflict with Pakistan last May.
Reuters reported that Pakistan’s Chinese-made J-10C jets shot down at least one Rafale, citing US officials.
New Delhi has confirmed losses in the air but has not acknowledged a Rafale being shot down.
