Terrorists lay siege to Bolan Medical Complex

QUETTA: Four Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel and the Deputy Commissioner were martyred as a result of a terrorist siege at the Bolan Medical Complex here on Saturday. According to reports four nurses are also amongst those killed in the attack.

Speaking to the media the city’s police chief said following the operation launched by security forces, a room to room search was being conducted to ensure that the complex was clear. Zubair providing details of the siege, said a suicide bomber detonated himself inside the complex as the deceased and injured from an earlier blast at a women’s university were being rushed to the medical complex. The police chief added that following the blast, terrorists entered and laid siege to the complex. A second suicide bomber detonated himself on the second floor of the complex as security forces were trying to clear the area.

Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan outside parliament said that the Balochistan Chief Minister had informed him that the operation had been completed. He said that four terrorists had been killed, while a suspected terrorist had been arrested. Nisar hoped that law enforcement agencies would be able to get credible leads from the suspected terrorist. The Interior Minister added that according to reports the two incidents in Quetta were not related. The minister also informed the media that 35 hostages had been freed.

Speaking to the media outside parliament, Information Minister Pervez Rasheed ruled out the possibility of a foreign hand in the Quetta attacks. He added that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had spoken with Chief Minister Balochistan and assured him of full support. “All nation security institutions of the country are helping the provincial government and are using all available resources.”

Rasheed further said he was certain that the attackers would be arrested adding that some individuals in the province had started the politics of violence. “Our party made a sacrifice in the province son that Baloch nationalist parties could form the government. There is no longer any reason for these disgruntled Baloch individuals to continue with the politics of the gun.”

Earlier, at least 14 female students were killed in a blast which targeted the bus of a women’s only university in the city. The improvised explosive device was planted inside the bus.