One dead, six injured in Quetta grenade attack

A seven-year-old boy died and six others sustained injuries in a hand grenade attack on a shop in Quetta on Wednesday night.

The shop was selling Pakistani flags, badges and items ahead of the Independence Day celebrations on August 14.

According to police, two people riding motorcycles hurled a hand grenade at the shop. The shop owner was injured in the attack as well.

Police and Frontier Corps personnel rushed to the site and shifted the victims to civil hospital.

“Seven people got injured including two children in the blast,” said Ehsanullah Marwat, a senior police officer, adding that the young boy Muhammad Muddassar succumbed to his injuries in the hospital while receiving treatment.

 Five out of the six injured were identified as Insaf Ali Jamoot, Rehmatullah Sulmanzai, Muhammad Rafiq, Muhammad Zahid Muhammad Hasni and Mushtaq Ahmed.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast up till now. Law enforcement agencies have launched a search operation in the area.

Security has also been beefed up in and around Quetta city after the blast. FC and police personnel are constantly patrolling in the city.