Quetta violence: Two cops, passersby killed in shooting

Two policeman were killed when unidentified gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on their vehicle.

QUETTA: At least four people, among them two officers from the traffic police, were killed in a drive-by shooting in the provincial capital on Wednesday.

Police said gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on officers of the traffic police on Joint Road and sped away. As a result of firing, two police officials were killed and two passersby wounded.

The casualties were transported to the Provincial Sandeman Hospital where the injured also died during the course of treatment. “It could be an incident of targeted killing because the slain police officers were settlers. “We have launched a manhunt for the culprits,” a senior police official said.

Scores of non-Baloch settlers, including teachers, labourers and government officials, have been killed in Balochistan over the past few years.

The authorities have deployed heavy contingents of police and paramilitary Frontier Corps at Joint Road, Brewery Road and Zarghoon Road following the twin suicide attacks at the residence of Deputy Inspector General of FC Farrukh Shehzad.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2011.