QUETTA: At least three people, including a police official, were martyred and 25 others injured in a bomb blast in the provincial capital on Wednesday.

The attack took place on the Fatima Jinnah Road that runs through a bazaar, and several shops caught fire after the bombing.

Official sources said the powerful bomb went off near a police mobile parked in front of a shop.

“The target of the blast was a police mobile of the station house officer of the city police,” a senior police officer said, adding that the SHO remained unhurt in the blast. A deputy superintendent of the police (DSP) sitting in the shop was martyred in the blast.

Emergency declared in hospitals after attack

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.

“We have received three bodies and 25 injured in civil hospitals,” Dr Wasim Beig, spokesman for the Sandeman Provincial Hospital in Quetta, told Dawn, adding that two bodies were found completely burnt. Six of the wounded were in critical condition.

Balochistan’s Health Minister Syed Ehsan Shah declared an emergency in the Bolan Medical Complex Hospital and civil hospitals soon after the blast.

Police and personnel of other law enforcement agencies rushed to the site soon after the blast, cordoned off the area and shifted the bodies and the injured to the hospital.

“It seems to be a remote-controlled bomb blast,” a police officer said, adding that the bomb disposal squad collected the evidence from the site and investigation was under way.

Hospital officials identified the blast victims as DSP Muhammad Ajmal Khan Sadozai, police gunman Hussain, and Ali Muhammad.

The injured include Naimatullah, Rahimullah, Javed, Muhammad Ali, Saifur Rehman, Muhammad Sadiq, Bismillah, Aziz Ahmed, Khairullah, Muhammad Ishaq, Amanullah, Mir Waiz, Hafizullah, Najeebullah, Mohibullah, Ehsanullah, Fazlur Rehman, Tajuddin, Muhammad Jabbar, Sunail, Abdul Hasnain, Farman Ali, and Ghulam Hasan. One injured person could not be identified so far.

Governor Balochistan Syed Zahoor Ahmed Agha, Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, Adviser on Home and Tribal Affairs Ziaullah Langove, Parliamentary Secretary on Information Bushra Rind and other ministers strongly condemned the blast and said that the elements involved in this act would not be spared and would be brought to the justice soon.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2022