One killed, three wounded in explosion near Pakistan-Iran border

Offici­als rule out possib­ility of Irania­n forces firing mortar shells across the border, say it was a plante­d...

QUETTA: At least one person was killed and three others were wounded in an explosion near the exit point of the Pakistan-Iran border in Mand town of Turbat district on Sunday.

“A driver and cleaners were sitting on the side of the border near the customs office when a huge explosion occurred, killing one person on the spot and injuring three others,” an official of Balochistan Levies in Mand, Ahmed Ali, told The Express Tribune.

The nature of the blast could not be known as mobile services, healthcare and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) are not available in the area.

Levies personnel reached the area and transported the injured to civil hospital Turbat.

“The injured were later shifted to a hospital in Karachi because of their critical wounds,” Ahmed said.

The injured were identified as Beberg Abdul Salam, Yousaf Haji Din Mohammed and Sameer Esaa.

“We were sitting this side of the border and suddenly there was a huge explosion. We did not know where it was planted,” Levies officials said quoting the injured as saying.

However, officials ruled out the possibility of Iranian forces firing mortar shells across the border.

“It was a planted bomb,” Ahmed said.

The blast occurred near the Pakistan customs office very close to the exit point of Pakistan-Iran border.

“It is a legal trade route from where vehicles of either side pass by carrying goods and other necessities,” Balochistan Levies official said.

Mand is one of the troubled areas in Balochistan, where recently District Polio Officer (DPO) Turbat was attacked twice but remained unhurt.