Reports of firing in Islamabad's market turn out to be hoax

Pakistani police on Thursday evacuated a busy commercial area here following reports that a bomb had been planted there, hours after unidentified gunmen ambushed an army vehicle and killed a Brigadier and a soldier.

Pakistani police on Thursday evacuated a busy commercial area here following reports that a bomb had been planted there, hours after unidentified gunmen ambushed an army vehicle and killed a Brigadier and a soldier.

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Government offices and commercial establishments at the centre of Sector F-8 were evacuated and the bomb disposal squad was called in to conduct a search following a report that a bomb had been planted in a parking lot, officials said.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Bin Yamin dismissed initial reports that police had exchanged fire with a suspected bomber who had entered the district and sessions court complex in the same area.

Bin Yamin said passersby had mistaken the sound of a shop's metal shutter being pulled down for gunfire. He said the report about a bomb being planted in the area was a hoax.

Besides the court complex, the area has several police offices and dozens of shops and commercial establishments. It is located a short distance from the UN food agency's office that was targeted by a suicide bomber two weeks ago.

Police used sniffer dogs to scour the area and armed police commandos conducted a thorough search of all buildings.