Blast in Pishin kills 3, injures 14 others

QUETTA: At least three people — two children and a woman — died while 14 others sustained injuries in an explosion on Saturday near a police line in Balochistan's city of Pishin, Geo News reported citing police officials.

The injured, which include policemen, are being shifted to the hospital with some of them in critical condition, said the law enforcement agency. 

Seven policemen were among those injured when the remote-controlled bomb, attached to a motorcycle, detonated, the city's senior superintendent of police, Manzoor Buledi, told Reuters.

"Explosives were planted in a motorcycle which was parked in the area," said police officer Mujeeb-Ur-Rehman. 

According to PTV News, the blast occurred near the Pishin's deputy commissioner's office. 

Medical superintendent of Pishin Hospital, Dr Wakeel Sherani, said 13 wounded were moved to Quetta after receiving first aid while the bodies of the children and one of the injured are in the hospital. 

One of the injured, who was shifted to the trauma center Quetta in critical condition, lost her life, said the hospital sources.

Condolences 

President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the blast in Pishin resulting in the killing of innocent children.

Expressing deep sorrow and grief, President Zardari extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

The president reaffirmed his resolve to continue fight against terrorism, directing the relevant authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also offered his condolences and directed the authorities concerned to provide best possible medical treatment to the injured.

He said those responsible for the incident should be identified and given exemplary punishment.

Condemning the incident, spokesperson of the Balochistan government said that they regret the loss of precious human lives in terrorist incident. 

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also condemned the blast, saying that the anarchists want to destroy the peace of the province.

"The morale of the security agencies cannot be undermined by cowardly acts. The scourge of terrorism will be eradicated with the help of security forces," he added. 

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant attacks, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the banned outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) put the truce with Islamabad to an end.

KP and Balochistan — both bordering Afghanistan — were the epicenters of violence during the second quarter of 2024, accounting for nearly 92% of all fatalities and 87% of attacks (including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations).

Individually, the former suffered 67% and the latter 25% of all fatalities in Q2, 2024.