Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) suicide Blast in Quetta’s Baleli area on Wednesday targeted a police patrol, killing three people including a police official, and injured dozens more.
“The bomb blast that targeted a police patrol wounded more than 30 people, including 15 police,” said another police official, Abdul Haq. “Out of them, a policeman, a woman and a child died.”
According to the reports The Patrol team had been guarding a polio vaccination team at the time of the suicide blast.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Quetta Azfar Maisar had earlier confirmed that police officials were among the casualties and that at least two dozen were injured in the blast. He said that a total of three vehicles were hit in the blast a police truck, a Suzuki Mehran and a Toyota Corolla. “Looking at the crime scene and given that the truck toppled, it is estimated that 25 kilograms of explosives were used [in the blast].”
“This seems to be a suicide attack,” a security official told the media
The policemen were reportedly coming from Baleli to Quetta city when they were targeted. Initial investigation suggests a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the police truck. Police officials also confirmed that another vehicle was damaged in the explosion.
The area was cordoned off and an initial investigation has started. The casualties were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta.
In a statement issued by the Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and directed for the best possible medical aid to the injured. He also paid tribute to the martyred police official.
The premier said polio workers are fulfilling their responsibility without caring about their lives to eliminate the deadly disease from the country. For this, he said we pay tributes to their services. The prime minister also said militant elements will always fail in their designs to stop the anti-polio campaign.
Former premier and PTI chief Imran Khan also expressed deep grief on the attack and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured people.
Later on, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also condemned the suicide attack.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan Chief Minister Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo condemned the explosion, calling it a “cowardly act of terrorism” and expressed grief over the loss of precious lives.
The chief minister has directed for the best possible treatment to be provided to the injured
Remember that The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Monday said that they have called off a ceasefire agreed upon with the federal government in June and ordered its militants to stage terrorist attacks across the country, a statement from the banned terror outfit said.
Later on The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) armed group, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack, two days after announcing an end to a ceasefire agreed with the government in June.
