Targeted attack: FC soldier, two labourers die in Quetta blast

No group has accepted responsibility so far

QUETTA:

At least three, including  a paramilitary soldier and two labourers were among three people killed and 24 others wounded in a powerful bombing targeting a Frontier Corps (FC) patrolling vehicle in Satellite Town on Saturday morning. The improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in a Corolla car and detonated when the FC vehicle reached the area.

The outlawed Baloch United Army claimed responsibility for the attack, with the group’s spokesperson saying it was in retaliation for search operations in Balochistan.

Around 15 daily wage labourers were having breakfast outside a roadside restaurant near Sirki Road and Satellite Town when the explosion occurred, killing two of them.

“Around 45 kilograms of explosive materials were used to target the Frontier Corps (FC)’s patrol vehicle. An FC soldier was among the three killed. The blast injured 24 people, including FC soldiers,” Abdul Razzaq Cheema, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Quetta, told The Express Tribune. “Ball bearings, nuts and bolts were used to maximise the damage,” Cheema said. He said police have already started snap checking across the city. “Investigators have collected the engine number and launched an inquiry about the vehicle used in the blast,” he said. The car used in the blast was completely gutted.

“I was having breakfast at 7:10 when a sudden huge explosion occurred. I saw fire and thick black smoke covered the area. I fell unconscious and found myself at hospital,” Abdul Lateef, an injured labourer, told The Express Tribune at Provincial Sandeman Hospital. “We often have breakfast together before we wait for customers for any kind of construction work in the city,” he added. At least 22 injured were brought to hospital. Most of the injured were labourers and passersby. Four injured are in a critical condition.

According to the FC spokesperson, the FC vehicle was on a routine patrol when it came under attack. The blast damaged the FC vehicle, two cars and a rickshaw. The window panes of shops, buildings and vehicles nearby were shattered due to the impact of the blast. The explosion was heard within a four kilometre-radius.

Security forces, police and rescue workers rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. The bodies and the injured were transported to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and Provincial Sandeman Hospital.  A state of emergency was declared at Provincial Sandeman Hospital after the bombing.

Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has condemned the attack and ordered an investigation. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain also condemned the attack.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2014.