QUETTA: Suspected militans blew up an explosives-laden motorcycle, injuring three policemen and two civilians on Spiny Road on Monday.

According to police, the militants parked the explosives-laden motorbike near Pak-Tuck School and detonated it when a vehicle of the Kharotabad police station was passing through the area. The explosion left three police personnel and two civilian passers-by injured.

Soon after the blast, police and personnel of the Frontier Corps reached the area and took the injured to Quetta Civil Hospital.

“Five injured, including three police personnel, were brought to the hospital,” hospital officials said, adding that the condition of the injured was stable.

Police officials said the police pick-up was the militants’ target.

Bomb Disposal Squad officials also reached the area and inspected the place of the blast.

“An improvised explosive device was used in the blast and it was planted in the motorcycle,” a BDS official told Dawn.

The bombing also left windowpanes of nearby buildings and shops smashed.

The injured policemen were identified as Sub-Inspector Nisar Ahmed, driver Mohammad Khan and security guard Aralan.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove, Deputy Speaker Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail and provincial ministers condemned the attack on the policemen and said that such incidents could not dampen the morale of members of security forces.

They said that members of the security forces had rendered great sacrifices for restoring peace and order in the province.

They said that there would be no compromise on the security of people and all possible steps would be taken to bring terrorists and their facilitators to justice.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2019