QUETTA: Four women were injured when unknown persons threw acid on them in Quetta’s Sariab area Monday and later fled, DawnNews reported.

Imran Qureshi, the Superintendent of Police, told Dawn that two armed motorcyclists threw acid on four women in Killi Kamalo area of Quetta's Sariab road.

A view of the Burns ICU at the Bolan Medical Cpmplex.— Photo by Syed Ali Shah

The women were shifted to the burns ward of Bolan Medical Complex in critical condition, he added.

According to Dr Hidayatullah, the women were targeted on their faces.

Qureshi said that the women were engaged in shopping at a popular shopping centre when they were targeted. The attackers sped away on their motorcycle after launching the attack.

A huge contingent of police and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel reached the site of incident as a probe into the attack went under way.

"My sister was shopping in the market when acid was thrown on her face", Abdul Jabbar, the brother of one of the victims told Dawn.

A view of relatives of patients waiting outside the burns ward of Bolan Medical Complex— Photo by Syed Ali Shah

Like Abdul Jabbar, a large number of family members of the acid injured women were standing outside the Burns section of Bolan Medical Complex Hospital to inquire about the health condition of their loved ones.

"Why my sister was attacked, we have no dispute with someone", Jabbar said.

Police said the accused attacked the women in a crowded area where dozens of cosmetics shops are located. "They attacked women standing outside a shop", Imran Qureshi stated.

Through syringe, the accused sprayed acid on the faces of women, police said. The attack forced other women to flee and there was hue and cry after the tragic incident, Jabbar said.

Home Minister Balochistan, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti took notice of the incident and formed a committee headed by SP Sariab Imran Qureshi to probe into the incident.

"I strongly condemn the incident", the Minister told Dawnadding that all out efforts would be made to bring the perpetrators to book and justice would be done with the victims' families.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.