Child among 5 killed in Chaman blast

21 others, including two security personnel, also injured in attack

CHAMAN:

At least five people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed and 21 others injured in a powerful bomb blast in the Pak-Afghan bordering town of Chaman on Monday.

As per the security officials, unknown miscreants planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on a motorcycle parked on Mall Road in Chaman near the District Police Officer (DPO) office.

Security officials said that the blast ripped through the congested Mall Road area of the border town.

“The blast was that of an IED, which was planted on a motorbike parked in front of a market,” a senior security official said, adding that the IED was detonated through a remote-controlled device.

“Five people were killed in the blast and 22 others, including two Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) personnel, injured in the powerful blast that rocked the entire Chaman town,” Chaman Assistant Commissioner Zakaullah Durrani said.

Soon after the blast, law enforcement agencies officials along with rescue workers rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and injured to the hospital.

“The target was an ANF vehicle,” said Durrani. “Three people died on the spot, while two of the injured succumbed to their wounds during treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital, Chaman.”

Due to their critical condition, four of the injured were referred to Quetta for further treatment, the AC said, adding that emergency has also been declared at the DHQ Hospital, Chaman.

Official sources said that there was a threat alert after a border incident took place on July 30 in which six people, including a woman, were killed in clashes between angry mobs and security forces.

Police and other concerned agencies have started investigation. The Bomb Disposal Squad was called in from Quetta and the area was sealed to collect evidence from the blast site.

According to a statement issued by the Qilla Abdullah deputy commissioner, Major (retd) Bashir Ahmed said that five persons who lost their lives were identified as Hikmatullah 33, Muhammad Shafi 35, Muhammad Jalil 58, Abdul Wali 18, and 10-year-old Muhammad Ibrahim.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Balochistan Governor Justice (retd) Amanullah Khan, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, Interior Minister Ejaz Shah and Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove strongly condemned the Chaman blast and expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of human lives and injuring of innocent people.

In their separate statements, they termed the incident a barbarian act and said that the moral of the Pakistani people could not be dogged down through such attacks and all such attempts would be foiled with the unity of the nation.

They said that the elements involved in this inhuman act would soon be brought to justice as the law enforcement agencies were making all-out efforts to trace the terrorists.

CM Kamal while expressing deep sorrow over the deaths of five innocent people in the blast, directed the concerned health officials to provide best treatment facilities to the injured people admitted to DHQ Hospital, Chaman and Civil Hospital, Quetta.

Eight injured in Hub blast

At least eight people, including police and FC personnel, were injured in a blast near the Sher Ali petrol pump in the industrial city of Hub on Monday night.

According to the police, an explosion ripped through the gas station, leaving eight people seriously wounded.

A heavy contingent of security forces rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area.

The injured were evacuated to the DHQ Hospital for medical treatment.

They were identified as Karim Bakhsh, Zahoor Ahmed Magsi, Asif Ali, Ghulam Mohammad, Constable Mohammad Sharif, FC personnel Feroz, Sabir Ali and Mohammad Sadiq.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police have been probing the attack but it is believed that unknown miscreants targeted forces' vehicles parked at the gas station.

Officials said it was a cracker blast which shook nearby buildings.