Targeted attack: Two Christians killed, three hurt in Quetta shooting

Police say four armed men riding two motorbikes entered Isa Nagri and started shooting people

QUETTA: At least two members of the Christian community were killed and three more were injured, two of them girls, after gunmen opened indiscriminate firing in Isa Nagri, a Christian neighbourhood near the Brewery Road on Sunday evening.

According to Police, four armed men riding two motorbikes entered Isa Nagri and started shooting people sitting outside their homes.

“As a result of intense firing, five members of Quetta’s Christians community were injured and rushed to Bolan Medical Complex Hospital (BMC) for treatment,” Brewery Road SHO Javed Buzdar said.

According to him, the attackers managed to escape after the shooting.

Two of the injured – Rashid Khalid and Azhar Iqbal – died on way to the hospital.

Family members of the deceased also accused hospital staff of gross negligence.

They said that their relatives were not provided immediate medical care.

“At that time, there was no senior doctor in the hospital. The patients were handled by trainees who did not even know how to treat a bullet wound,” said Parvez Masih, a relative of one of the deceased.

The injured were identified as Mehvish, Sunena and Samuel, a prominent figure in Isa Nagri.

 



BMC Surgeon Dr Mola Buksh said that all of the injured had multiple bullet injuries.

He said that the injured girl, Mehvish, had been shifted to the Civil Hospital’s Trauma Centre for better medical care.

Sunday’s attack was the third attack on Christian Community in the provincial capital in the last four months. At least 15 Christians have been killed in a suicide attack and multiple targeted attacks since last December.

Da’ish claimed responsibilities for a suicide bombing at a church last year and also for the Shahzman road targeted killings earlier this month.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the Isa Nagri attack and promised a swift response.

A heavy contingent of law-enforcement personnel, including police and Frontier Corps (FC), Balochistan, rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area.

The Christian community staged a protest demonstration against the provincial government and called for the immediate arrest of the attackers. They also urged the government to provide protection to all members of the Christian community in Quetta.

“Why are we coming under attack? Terrorists are freely attacking us but security forces and the provincial government are playing the role of silent spectator,” said Amjad Faryad, an uncle of slain Rashid Khalid.

Protesters blocked Brewery and Sabzal roads and set tyres on fire.