Three killed, two injured in armed attack on vehicle in Quetta

Police cordon off area shortly after incident, move deceased and injured to hospital

QUETTA:

Three people were killed and two others seriously injured on Tuesday when unidentified armed men opened fire on a vehicle on Sariab Road in Quetta, police said. "The attackers targeted a vehicle near Sariab Road in the Faizabad area, a busy part of the city, before fleeing the scene," officials told The Express Tribune.

They added that they cordoned off the area shortly after the incident and shifted the bodies and the injured to the hospital, while a search operation was launched to apprehend the suspects.

The deceased were identified as Haroon Mengal, son of Jamil Mengal; Ghafoor, son of Waheed Bakhsh; and Naseebullah, son of unknown parentage. The injured were identified as Jamil Mengal and Abdul Hafeez.

Quetta Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Imran Shaukat told The Express Tribune, evidence had been collected from the crime scene and a formal investigation had been initiated. He said CCTV footage of the incident had also been obtained and was being used to help identify the attackers.

He added that special teams had been formed and raids were being conducted at multiple locations to arrest those involved.

One of the injured, Jamil, said he was returning home after appearing in court when the attack took place. He said his son, Haroon Mengal, was among those killed, while he himself sustained injuries in the firing.

Earlier on Sunday, two people from the Hazara community were killed and three others seriously injured when unidentified armed men opened fire at the Hazarganji vegetable and fruit market in Quetta.

Police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune, "The attackers, believed to be two to three individuals possibly riding a motorcycle, targeted vendors and buyers at the market before fleeing the scene immediately after the shooting."

In March, at least five people were killed and two others were injured in a series of armed attacks carried out by a large group of terrorists in the Panjgur district of Balochistan.