Four policemen killed in Quetta drive-by shooting

SSP Operations says militants on motorcycles opened fire on police vehicle

QUETTA: At least four policemen, including an ASI, were killed on Thursday when armed assailants opened fire on a police van in Pashtoonabad area of the district, a senior police official told The Express Tribune.

Militants opened fire on a patrolling police vehicle, killing four policemen on the spot, SSP Operations Quetta Aitzaz Goraya said. He said the assailants were riding motorcycles when they opened fire on the police vehicle and managed to escape from the scene.

"The bomber was on a motorcycle and he rammed it into the vehicle of Malik Tariq who was on his way to the office," Mian Saeed, a senior police official told reporters at the scene.

"One policeman has been killed and four others wounded," Saeed said, adding that it had yet to be determined whether the bomber was wearing a suicide vest or his motorcycle was packed with explosives.

Last week, another four policemen were shot dead in Quetta when unidentified armed men had opened fire on a police van at Mullah Abdul Salam area.

Read: Four police officials shot dead in Quetta

Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Baloch separatist groups demanding more autonomy and control over province’s gas and mineral resources have frequently targeted security forces and police for years. The province is also riven by sectarian strife and militant violence.