14 injured in grenade attack on shop in Noshki

One of the injured referred to Civil Hospital, Quetta due to his critical injuries

QUETTA: At least 14 people were injured in a grenade attack on a shop in Noshki district of Balochistan in what is being described as a failed attempt to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations.

Noshki superintendent of police said 14 people were injured after two unidentified men riding a motorcycle lobbed a hand grenade at a shop situated on Masjid Road.



The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical aid.

They were identified as Nadeem Ahmed, Habibullah, Muhammad Alam, Shamsuddin, Dad Karim, Najeebullah, Abdul Ghani, Amir Jan Zakriya, Hayat Khan, Munir Ahmed, Asmatullah, Ghulam Farooq, Mehboob Shah and Abdul Rauf. Najeebullah was referred to Civil Hospital, Quetta in view of his critical condition.

Law enforcement agencies reached the site and cordoned off the entire area and launched a manhunt for the suspects. Further investigation is under way.

Security had been beefed up across the province three days ago in order to celebrate the Independence Day peacefully.



Earlier on Saturday, at least six people, including three Chinese engineers, were wounded in a suicide attack on a bus in Dalbandin area of Chaghi district. The bus carrying the engineers was being escorted by the Frontier Corps (FC) personnel to Dalbandin Airport from Saindak mines when the bomber tried to ram a vehicle laden with explosives into the bus.

The Kethran deputy commissioner said that the injured engineers had been airlifted to Karachi for better medical care, while the injured FC men to Quetta.

The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack and shared on social media a photo of what it termed the “suicide bomber”. This was perhaps the first time a Baloch separatist group claimed responsibility for executing a suicide attack.

(Additional input by APP)