QUETTA: The District Police Officer (DPO) of Qilla Abdullah, his security guard and driver were killed and over 10 other people, including five police personnel, injured in a suicide blast in the border town of Chaman on Monday.

The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sources said that DPO Sajid Khan Mohmand with his team was on an inspection of the Eidgah area of Boghara road when the suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself up after hitting his vehicle.

They said Mr Mohmand died on the spot as the suicide bomber hit the vehicle on the side where he was sitting. Seven members of the DPO team were among the injured who were rushed to the district hospital of Chaman. Two of them, Muhammad Shafiq and Muhammad Younis, died during treatment.

Hospital sources said that 20 people were brought to the hospital after the blast. Some of them suffered minor injuries and they were released after first aid. They said eight seriously injured people, including five police personnel, had been shifted to the trauma centre of the Civil Hospital in Quetta. Two injured policemen were in critical condition, they added.

A police officer said that the head and other body parts of the suicide bomber were found at the site of the blast. He said the police had collected evidence from the site and started investigation.

Many vehicles were damaged by the blast and windowpanes of nearby buildings were smashed by the impact of the powerful blast which was heard far and wide in Chaman town.

Mr Mohmand’s body was first shifted to Quetta by helicopter. After funeral prayers for the slain DPO at the Police Lines Quetta, the body was sent to Peshawar for burial in his native town.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Commander Southern Command, Lt Gen Aamir Riaz, Inspector General of Balochistan Police Ahsan Mehboob, Inspector General of Frontier Corps Major General Anjum Nadeem, Additional IG Dr Mujeebur Rehman, Home Secretary Dr Akbar Harifal, some provincial ministers and a large number of other people attended the funeral prayers.

The chief minister condemned the attack. He paid tribute to Mr Mohmand and said his sacrifice would not go in vain. He said people involved in the attack would be brought to justice soon.

Mr Zehri said that the civilian government and security forces were jointly working against militant groups, adding that the government would not compromise on its fight against militant groups and would continue its actions against them.

PM condemns Chaman attack

APP adds: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the terrorist attack on the police convoy in Chaman that killed DPO Mohmand and two other officials.

Mr Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the attack.

He prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls and grant of courage to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss.

He issued directives for best possible medical treatment for the injured and prayed for their early recovery.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2017