Two killed, 13 injured in Quetta blast

At least two persons, including a policeman, were killed after an explosive device went off along Saryab Road.

QUETTA: At least two persons, including a policeman, were killed and 13 others were injured after an explosive device went off along Saryab Road near Shafi Colony here on Wednesday.

According to police officials, the explosive device had been planted on a power supply pole along a roundabout near the colony and was detonated by remote control just as a police van arrived at the site.

A passerby and the driver of the police vehicle were killed on the spot. Dozens of other people, including six policemen and pedestrians, received splinter wounds. Nearby buildings were damaged by the blast.

Rescue work was carried out after police cordoned off the area.

The corpses and injured people were shifted to the Sandeman Hospital and Bolan Medical College Teaching Hospital, where the police driver was pronounced dead on arrival.

“We received two dead bodies and six injured people,” Dr Noor Baloch said, adding that the condition of the injured was stable. Two passers-by with minor injuries were discharged after they were provided first aid. Five others were shifted to the Bolan hospital.

The deceased have been identified as constable Sadaqat and Noor Ahmed Zehri and the injured as Ashique Hussain, Naik Muhammad, Muhammad Rasool, Mohammad Rais, Hameeda Bibi, Muhammad Azam, Asif Muhammad, Abdul Manan, Liaquat Ali, Wazir Ahmed, and Muhammad Zowar.

Mohammad Zowar was said to be in critical condition and was referred to the Combined Military Hospital. Three minors were also among the injured.

Three kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast, an official of the Bomb Disposal Squad said.

“Terrorists had planted an improvised explosive device, targeting the police van,” DIG (operations) Hamid Shakil said, adding that investigations were underway to arrest the criminals.

Shakil said that the police had not been successful in curbing the incidents of targeted killings, but some people had been rounded up and explosives seized.

Quetta police chief Abid Notkani said, “Security forces are on high alert but there are some flaws, which are exploited by terrorists to carry out such attacks,” he added.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2010.