QUETTA – A powerful blast rocked the congested Kachari area of Quetta near the premises of the heavily guarded city district courts. At least nine people, including four security personnel and an eight-year-old girl, were killed and dozens injured. Heavy firing was also heard in the area following explosion.
The rescue sources said that a convoy of Frontier Corps (FC) personnel was targeted in the blast which occurred at Jinnah road near Manan Chowk. Three three vehicles were also destroyed in the blast.
Initial investigations suggest that 10 to 15 kilograms of explosives were used in the bomb. Several motorcycles and cars were completely destroyed in the attack. The Baluchistan government spokesman Anwar Kakar said that it was a suicide blast.
The dead and injured were shifted to Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical Complex, where emergency was declared.
The death toll is feared to go up as some of the injured are in critical condition.
The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Baluchistan Home Minister Akbar Durrani said that, ‘Terrorists cannot deter our resolve to root out terrorism. We will continue our action against militants under National Action Plan (NAP).”
Younis Baloch, deputy mayor of Quetta, said he was personally going to the blast place. “We strongly condemn the terrorist attack,” he said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the terror attack in Quetta and directed authorities to give best treatment to the injured. He also directed law enforcement officials to hunt down the culprits responsible for this terror attack.
Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri has announced Rs 1 million for each dead victim’s family and Rs 500,000 each for injured.
In another incident, one policeman was martyred and three were injured in a firing incident at Sariab road in Quetta. The injured were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).