Two minors among six martyred in Quetta suicide blast

QUETTA: At least six people — including two minors — were killed on Saturday when a suicide blast rocked the city’s Sariab Road, police and hospital sources said.

There was no one in the vehicle at the time of the attack.

Security officials explained that four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel are among the 25 injured in the attack that targetted an FC commandant vehicle.

A minor girl — who was wounded in the blast and was under treatment at the hospital — succumbed to her injuries late Saturday night, the hospital sources disclosed, bringing the death toll to six.

"The body parts of the alleged suicide attacker have been found," Abdul Razzak Cheema — the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police — said. 

Three suspects from near the site of the incident have been taken into custody and are being probed, police sources told Geo News. 

Police frequent target in Quetta

Terrorist attacks in Balochistan often target the police.

The last such attack took place back on November 14 when Mohammad Ilyas — the Superintendent of Police (SP) for Investigation — along with three of his family members were martyred after unknown gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the provincial capital's Nawa Kali area.

On November 8, DIG Hamid Shakeel — who was heading the motor transport and telecommunications department — and two other police officials were martyred when their convoy was targetted in a bomb attack.

In an earlier attack, eight policemen were martyred after unidentified attackers rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into their truck. Over 20 others were wounded, hospital authorities stated.

In August this year, a massive suicide explosion — targeting the Pakistan Army personnel in Quetta — left 15 people dead and injured at least 20. Of the deceased, seven were civilians.

The blast — which reportedly took place in a vehicle — occurred at the Pishin bus stop, causing cars in the surroundings to catch fire soon afterwards.

In June this year, fourteen people — including seven policemen — were killed and 21 injured in a suicide car bombing near the office of the inspector general of police Balochistan on Gulistan Road.