QUETTA: At least nine people, including a Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were injured — two of them seriously — in a bomb blast in the Jan Muhammad Road area of Quetta on Friday.

The explosion occurred at the intersection of Jan Muhammad and Al-Gilani roads near a mosque and madressah as an FC vehicle was passing through the area following Friday prayers.

According to security officials, unidentified attackers planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on a motorbike and parked it at the crossroads. The IED was detonated remotely as the FC vehicle, which was on routine patrol, approached the location.

Following the powerful explosion, police and FC personnel rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to Civil Hospital Quetta. “We have received nine injured people at the hospital,” Dr Wasim Baig told Dawn, adding that the condition of two victims was critical.

The blast caused significant damage to the FC vehicle and shattered windowpanes of nearby shops and buildings.

Senior police officer Anwar Ali Khan confirmed that the FC vehicle was the intended target of the attack.

He said that around 3kg of explosives were used in the IED, which was detonated using a remote control.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has registered a case against unidentified suspects and an investigation is underway.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025