QUETTA: At least four personnel of the Frontier Corps were killed and three others seriously injured in a bomb attack in Jhal-Jhao area of earthquake-stricken Awaran district on Friday.

Official sources said that an FC vehicle carrying soldiers was attacked with an improvised explosive device (IED). It was triggered by remote control in Jhal-Jhao area. The FC personnel were escorting a team of aid workers busy in the relief operation in the area.

The powerful explosion left three FC men dead on the spot and four others injured.

Security forces stationed nearby rushed to the area and took the injured and bodies to the hospital. Another FC soldier died before reaching the hospital.

A spokesman for the Frontier Corps Balochistan identified the dead as Hawaldar Rajab Ali, Lance Naik Khurshid, soldier Shafiq and driver Khushaal Khan. The injured were identified as Bismillah Khan, Naik Fida Mohammad and soldier Naseebullah.

“Many attacks have been carried out by armed militants on the FC personnel providing protection to relief workers for the past several months, to create hurdles in relief operations in the earthquake-hit area.

“Personnel of the Frontier Corps were escorting aid workers busy in the relief operation when targeted by a remote-controlled IED planted at the roadside,” the spokesman said.

“The condition of the injured is serious and they would be shifted to CMH, Quetta,” sources said, adding that the team of relief workers reached its destination safely.