ISLAMABAD: Within two days, a second bank robbery rocked Islamabad, killing one person and injuring several others when armed robbers ambushed a cash van outside a National Bank branch in Sector G-9/4.
The robbers, wearing helmets to avoid recognition, opened fire on the security team, swiftly taking a bag of cash before fleeing the scene.
Two security guards and three passers-by from a nearby hotel were hit by bullets, and all five were taken to PIMS Hospital. Tragically, one of the hotel’s employees succumbed to his injuries while being treated, adding to public concern over the recent rise in brazen attacks.
This follows another violent rampage just a day earlier, where two cash vans were targeted in separate armed robberies, injuring six security personnel. In the first incident, which took place in Sector G-9/3, a robber approached a cash van outside a private bank and opened fire on guards carrying cash bags, but the guards managed to stop the theft.
Shortly after, another robbery attempt targeted a cash van in the G-15 centre, just 10 km away. A similar ambush took place when the van was parked near a commercial bank, resulting in a shootout in which five guards were injured. Despite the chaos, the cash van driver’s quick response helped prevent the robbers from stealing the funds.
With these series of coordinated robberies, Islamabad authorities have stepped up security and are using the Safe City surveillance system to track down those responsible.
