Ahead of Aug 14: Shop selling flags bombed in Quetta

QUETTA: At least 16 people were injured in a bomb blast targeting a shop selling Pakistan flags near Prince Road, downtown Quetta, on Tuesday night. The shop was destroyed while the window panes of nearby buildings were shattered due to the impact of the blast. Unidentified persons placed an improvised explosive device (IED) beneath a table in a small shop, which was selling Pakistani flags for Independence Day, SHO Gualmandi Mohammed Tariq told The Express Tribune. The injured were moved to Provincial Sandeman Hospital for treatment. Police and security forces sealed the area after the blast. Some of the injured are said to be in a critical condition. Quetta Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Abdul Razzaq Cheema said security had already been beefed up in Quetta fearing possible terrorist attacks by militants and separatist organisations. “Shopkeepers and hotel owners have been asked to keep a close eye on activities of suspected persons,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th,2014.