QUETTA, March 12: A couple and their four children were killed when mortar shells hit their house in Hairdin village of Jaffarabad district early on Saturday, officials said.

Police officer Muneem Khan Khoso said unidentified people fired mortar shells from an unspecified place that slammed into the house of one Fallo Khan. He said that one shell landed on the roof of the house, killing six members of the family. Some adjoining houses were damaged in the attack, he added.

Security forces retrieved bodies from the rubble and took them to hospital.

The dead were identified as Fallo Khan, his wife Mai Khatoon and their daughters Shahai, Shari, Chochi and Jhirki, aged six to 12.

LANDMINE BLAST: A Wapda official and three security personnel were injured in a landmine blast in Chatter area of Jaffarabad while gas supply to Sui plant was suspended because of another explosion.

According to official sources, the injured were Wapda executive engineer Taj Muhammad, Sub-inspector Rasool Bakhsh, constables Aziz and Rab Nawaz.

A pipeline was blown up when the explosive device planted under it went off, suspending gas supply to the Sui plant.