QUETTA: A policeman was martyred and eight other people, including three policemen, were injured in a motorcycle bomb blast in Qila Abdullah on Wednesday.

According to the police, the bomb strapped to the motorcycle parked at the roadside exploded when a police patrol vehicle passed by it.

The deceased policeman was identified as Hikmatullah.

“One policeman lost his life and eight other people, including three policemen, were injured in the blast,” Qila Abdullah Assistant Commissioner Din Mohammad told Dawn, adding that the bomb was detonated with a remote-controlled device.

Soon after the blast, police and Levies Force officials rushed to the area of the blast and took the injured to district hospital. The condition of two of the injured was stated to be serious and they were shifted to Quetta Civil Hospital.

The powerful blast destroyed the vehicle and shattered windowpanes of several nearby shops and buildings.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2021