Two injured in another Quetta grenade attack

Third attack within seven days raises alarm bells

QUETTA:

At least two persons sustained injuries in a grenade attack on a tailoring shop in the Kechi Baig area of Sariab on Thursday.

This is the third attack in Quetta within the span of seven days which has raised alarm bells over the prevailing security situation in the largest province of the country that has been a hot target for militants in the past as well.

According to police officials, unidentified persons riding on a motorcycle lobbed a hand grenade on a shop but fortunately no loss of life was reported in the cowardly attack.

The assailants managed to escape from the site successfully and unharmed after committing the crime.

Police and rescue teams rushed to the spot upon being informed about the incident. The injured persons identified as Mohammad Imran and Mohammad Ashfaq have been shifted to a local hospital where they are currently undergoing medical treatment.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. A case has been registered against unidentified persons and further investigations are underway. On August 10, one person was killed and four others had sustained injuries in a grenade attack at Sher Jan stop in Quetta.

The target of the blast was a pushcart vendor selling Pakistani flags and Independence Day paraphernalia to mark the 74th birthday of the country.

The deceased person was identified as 25-year-old Amanullah. His body was shifted to Civil Hospital along with the injured persons who are currently undergoing treatment.

Earlier, over the weekend on August 8, two policemen were martyred and 21 persons were injured in a blast near Quetta’s Serena Hotel.

According to provincial government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani, a police van was targeted during the attack. He said that the explosive material was planted in a motorcycle. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a banned outfit, had claimed responsibility for the blast.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2021.