Three killed in blast near police van in Quetta

QUETTA/ISLAMABAD: At least three passersby, including a leading cancer doctor, were martyred and 21 others injured in a bomb blast that took place at the busy Double Road of the provincial capital of Balochistan on Thursday.

Officials said that a police mobile was the target of the attack in which four policemen were injured.

Police said unknown terrorists had planted an explosive device on a motorcycle and parked it at the Double Road area to target the police patrolling car. As the vehicle carrying police personnel reached the spot, the motorcycle was blown up.

The powerful blast took two lives at the spot and injured 22 others. Police said that many nearby shops were also damaged in the blast. Soon after the blast, police rushed to the site, cordoned off the area, and shifted the injured and bodies to the Civil Hospital. However, seriously injured Dr Meharullah Tareen succumbed to his injuries. The bomb disposal squad examined the blast site and collected evidence.

“We received three bodies and 21 injured in the trauma centre of the Civil Hospital,” Dr Wasim Baig, spokesman for the hospital said, adding that according to the doctors, the condition of four injured was critical.

The other deceased was Abdul Jabbar while another body could not be identified so far. Fifteen out of 21 injured included Ahmed Khan, Sur Gul Khan, Jameel Ahmed, Muhammad Hussian, Shafiq Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Hayatullah, Attaullah, Habibullah, Muhammad Bilal, Khalil Ahmed, Noor Ahmed, Faraz Ahmed and Muhammad Yasin.

Police and other authorities concerned have started an investigation. No one has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

In a separate incident, at least seven persons were killed in a firing incident that took place near the Kalmat area of Nushki district of Balochistan, private media houses quoting Rescue and Police sources reported on Thursday.

Unknown assailants opened fire and killed seven passengers travelling to Karachi from Gwadar area of Balochistan. A rescue team rushed to the site and shifted the bodies to a hospital. A police team also reached the spot and started search for the perpetrators. However, no arrest was made till the filing of this report.

Sabah news agency reported that the attackers blocked the main highway, pulled the passengers out of vehicles and killed the people. They also set fire to several heavy vehicles transporting goods from the port.

Highway Police SSP Hafeez Baloch said roads in Turbat, Panjgur and Pasni were also blocked. Levies officials reported similar disruptions in Bolan, Kolpur and Mastung. A levies vehicle was also torched in Mastung. Security forces moved toward the affected areas to clear the highways.

President Asif Ali Zardari, meanwhile, condemned the explosion near the police mobile in Quetta. In a statement here, the president expressed deep sorrow and regret over the loss of precious lives in the blast. He said such heinous acts in the holy month of Ramazan reflected the nefarious objectives of terrorists.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also strongly condemned the blast. In a statement here, he prayed for the highest ranks of the deceased and patience for their bereaved families. He directed to provide the best medical facilities to the injured. The elements spreading violence in Balochistan were the enemies of the development of Balochistan, he said, adding, “We will never allow the evil intentions of the terrorists to succeed and will continue the war against the scourge of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country.”

Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the blast at Quetta’s Double Road, stating that “enemy forces are targeting Balochistan.” He vowed to foil the nefarious conspiracy to destabilise the province.

With regard to the second incident, both the president and prime minister strongly condemned the killing of passengers in a firing incident in the Kalmat area of Gwadar. The president and prime minister, in their separately issued statements, prayed for peace for the departed souls, early recovery of the injured and strength for the bereaved families to bear the loss.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti also strongly condemned the incident of killing innocent passengers after disembarking them from a bus in the Kalmat area, calling it a heinous and cowardly act. He said that targeting innocent citizens was a brutal and unforgivable crime, the perpetrators of which would not be able to escape the law. He raised the question that why those who call for protests and sit-ins for personal purposes were silent on the attack. He said that those who were keeping a meaningful silence on the killing of innocent workers should tell whom they were supporting, because silence is considered consent and it is being proven who is facilitating whom.

The interior minister also condemned the tragic incident in Kalmat area where terrorists cowardly targeted innocent passengers by forcing them off a bus and opening fire, stating that “killing unarmed civilians is a heinous crime against humanity.” He emphasized that “identifying and executing passengers is an act of barbarism and brutality,” adding, “We share the grief of the victims’ families as our own.”