Pak: 4 killed,18 hurt in blast in Balochistan province

Karachi: A powerful blast targeting a police vehicle in a busy marketplace in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan province on Monday killed at least four people, including two policemen, and wounded 18 others, in a fresh wave of attacks targeting security personnel.

The explosion occurred near a parked police vehicle next to Qandhari Bazar on Shahrah-e-Iqbal in the provincial capital Quetta, the Dawn newspaper reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but previous such attacks have been blamed on Baloch insurgents and Islamic militants.

“The target was a police vehicle and the bomb was set off remotely,” SP Hameed Qambrani said.

He said the blast also damaged several vehicles parked outside shops in the area.

“The explosives were planted in a motorcycle,” SSP Operations Captain (retd) Zohaib Mohsin said, adding that the injured also included women and children.

Four persons, including two policemen, were killed while 18 others were injured in the blast.

Mohsin said the injured were immediately transferred to Civil Hospital Quetta for medical treatment.

Civil Defence Director Rafu Mandokhail said that three to four kilos of explosives were used in the blast, while the explosive material was installed in a motorcycle.

TV footage showed a damaged vehicle of the police surrounded by a number of police personnel. Several ambulances were also seen leaving the site of the explosion.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the blast in Balochistan’s capital city and offered condolences to the families of the victims.