DIG Quetta says the injured have been shifted to the city’s Civil Hospital; six people are said to be in critical condition
QUETTA
At least three persons, including a deputy superintendent of police, were martyred and 25 others got injured in a bomb explosion in the provincial capital on Wednesday.
The explosion took place near a police van on Fatima Jinnah Road in Quetta, though the authorities said its exact nature was yet to be determined.
DIG Fida Hussain while speaking to the media, said that around two kilograms of explosives was used in the blast. He said police and LEAs were investigating the incident from all angles.
DSP Ajmal Saduzai had recently joined the force after completing the training course. He was sitting with his friend in one of the shops damaged in the blast, they added.
Flames engulfed nearby shops due to the intensity of the blast. The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital, Quetta for medical treatment.
Police and other law enforcement agencies reached the spot and launched an investigation into the incident. They cordoned off the area and closed Fatima Jinnah Road and surrounding roads for all traffic.
“Three people have died in the blast while 24 others are injured,” Dr. Waseem Baig, media coordinator of the Balochistan health department said, adding two of the three deceased have been identified.
“One of the deceased is Ajmal Sadozai, a deputy superintendent of police, while the other is Ali Muhammad,” he added. “Four of the injured persons are in critical condition.”
The provincial health minister Syed Ahsan Shah condemned the blast in a statement. He said the provincial authorities had imposed an emergency at the Civil Hospital where the victims of the explosion were rushed for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, Balochistan chief minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo blamed “cowardly terrorists” for targeting innocent civilians. “All resources should be utilised to bring those responsible for the incident to justice,” he added.
So far, no insurgent group has claimed responsibility for the blast in Quetta.
Balochistan is a sparsely populated province that has intermittently witnessed low-intensity insurgency for decades. The government has launched full-scale military operations as well as targeted interventions to quell the violence.
Earlier this month, Baloch insurgent outfits launched coordinated attacks on Frontier Corps camps in Panjgur and Naushki in the province that lasted for several hours.
