QUETTA:
A bomb blast near a police van in Quetta killed two people and injured 17 others on Thursday, hours after terrorists stopped a passenger bus in Gwadar district, took six passengers out of it and shot them dead on the road.
Police and the Balochistan government spokesperson confirmed the attacks in the restive province, where terrorist assaults on the civilians have seen a massive spike in the recent weeks, including a train hijacking incident earlier this month.
Police said that six passengers of a bus, which was going to Karachi, were shot dead by unknown armed men in the Kalmat area, close to the coastal town of Pasni in Gwadar district. They said that the armed men pulled the passengers out of the bus and fired at them.
Police said that five people died on the spot, while one succumbed to his wounds during treatment at a local hospital. The police further said that one of the deceased was stated to be a resident of Multan, adding that all the people were travelling to Karachi.
“Terrorists have targeted passenger buses and security officials in multiple districts of Balochistan, killing at least five non-local passengers and a security official,” a senior provincial police official told AFP early on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Dozens of militant stopped passenger buses and identified non-local travellers”, the official said, adding that they carried out the overnight attacks in several districts after taking control of major highways and setting up posts to search vehicles.
Hours later, the Quetta police said, a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) went off near a police van on Double Road in the provincial capital, adding that two people died in the explosion, while 17 others sustained injuries.
“According to initial information, the explosion took place near a police van. The explosion damaged the police van and other vehicles and motorcycles parked nearby. Rescue teams shifted the injured to a hospital,” a police official said.
Around 2.5 kilogrammes of explosives along with ball-bearings were used in the blast, Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) personnel said. “The explosive device was fitted on a motorcycle, which was detonated through a remote control device,” the police official stated.
On Thursday afternoon, an improvised explosive device planted on a motorcycle detonated near a police vehicle in a busy market Quetta, Muhammad Baloch, a senior police official, told AFP. “Two civilians were killed and 17 people wounded”, Baloch said.
Dr Abdul Hadi Kakar, the medical superintendent of the Quetta Civil Hospital, confirmed two fatalities and 17 injured in the blast. He said that four of the injured people were in critical condition. Medics said one of the deceased was identified as Jabbar, while the identity of the other had yet to be ascertained.
At least six of the injured were teen-aged boys or even younger. The included Ahmed Khan, 14; Hayatullah, 9; Attaullah, 10; Bilal, 13; unknown, 11; Yasin, 19; Habibullah, 30; Faraz, 30 Kamran, 30; Khalil Ahmed, 35; Noor Ahmed, 46; and Sar Gul, 50.
The terrorist attacks in Balochistan have seen a spike in recent weeks. Earlier this month, terrorists attacked a train with 450 passengers on board, sparking a two-day siege during which dozens of people were killed. Days later, at least five paramilitaries were killed in a suicide bombing.
A few days ago, four labourers, belonging to Sadiqabad area of Punjab, were killed in firing by unknown armed men in the Mangchar area of Balochistan. The labourers had gone there to install a tube well, according to the local police.
Meanwhile, President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned both the terrorist attacks in Balochistan. They expressed grief over the death of innocent people and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured persons.
In a statement issued by the President’s Office, Zardari emphasised that terrorists were enemies of both the country’s development and Balochistan’s prosperity, noting that they were opposed to progress in the region. He reaffirmed the resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country.
In a separate statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz directed the authorities concerned to provide the best medical treatment to the wounded and thoroughly investigate the incident, ensuring that the perpetrators were brought to justice.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the prime minister vowed to thwart any anti-state agendas. He also commended security forces and law-enforcement agencies for their efforts in protecting the country, expressing national pride in their actions.
In another statement, Shehbaz said that the elements spreading mischief in Balochistan were the enemies of the development of Balochistan. The prime minister said that the government would never allow the evil designs of the mischief makers to succeed.
In a statement from the Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attacks as “a cowardly act” and “a crime against humanity”. He added: “Targeting travellers by identifying them is barbaric and brutal”.
K-P attacks
Separately, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), which has also seen a spike in terrorist attacks launched by terrorists belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a police van was targeted with a roadside IED in the Bajaur area on Thursday but there was no fatality.
Bajaur District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafique told reporters that the explosion targeted the vehicle belonging to Khar police station house officer (SHO) Rashid Ahmed near Tang Khatta Pul, adding that no casualties were reported in the explosion.
Also, police in Lakki Marwat district disarmed an IED planted along the main Lakki-Manjiwala road. Reports indicated that the bomb was placed in a large plastic drum. Initial investigation revealed that the drum was dragged onto the road and then buried on the roadside.
(WITH INPUT FROM AFP & NEWS DESK)
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