QUETTA, Feb 6: Police arrested 12 suspects on Monday during raids in different areas of Quetta, Mastung and Dashat for investigation into Kolpur bus explosion that killed 13 and injured 18 others.

“Police arrested 12 people in connection with the bus blast,” District Police Officer Mastung Hamid Shakeel told Dawn. More arrests were expected in this regard, he added.

However, AFP quoted Balochistan police chief Chaudhary Mohammad Yaqub as saying: “We have arrested 15 people and also taken the driver of the bus into custody for investigation.”

DPO Shakeel said the 13 people had been taken into custody after receiving information about their suspicious activities.

“No clue to the explosion was found so far, but we are hopeful to identify the culprits soon,” he said and added that police officials were interrogating the suspects.

Sources said the Balochistan IGP had set up two special investigation teams headed by the SSP Quetta and DPO Mastung.

Police, they said, had recorded statements of the manager of the Private Bus Company, Samiullah, bus driver Aziz Lashari and cleaner.

Investigators visited the site of the incident and examined the wreckage of the bus.

SECTION 144: Quetta City Nazim Maqbool Ahmed Lehri has imposed Section 144 in the city.