QUETTA, Pakistan: A powerful blast occurred in Quetta’s Satellite Town area on Wednesday morning, killing at least 15 people including 12 policemen and two Frontier Corps (FC) personal.
Meanwhile, the terror outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) reportedly claimed responsibility for the blast.
The blast which also left 15 people injured took place near a police van outside the office of the head unit of anti-polio campaign. The anti-polio teams were being sent to different areas from the office at the time of blast.
The Balochistan Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirming the incident said that the personnel of law enforcement agencies are among the dead and injured.
“We were living in a conflict zone and hostile agencies were targeting us,” Sarfaraz Bugti said.
“It is a conflict zone and hostile agencies have been carrying out sabotage acts after China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other mega projects were announced in the region,” he said.
Bugti said that it is being investigated whether it was a suicide attack or a bomb blast.
The minister said that the personnel of Frontier Corps (FC) and Police were escorting the anti-polio campaign volunteers when the blast took place.
The dead and injured were shifted immediately by rescue teams to Civil Hospital were the condition of eight injured was reported critical by the paramedics.
Meanwhile, President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast, and expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives.
In his statement, the prime minister said that the government is committed to stamp out extremism from the country and the operation will continue till elimination of terrorism. He said that Pakistan Army has destroyed hideouts of terrorists and is now engaged to eliminate terrorists.
The Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai and Chief Minister Sardar Sanaullah Zehri also condemned the blast and directed to provide all best medical facilities to the injured.
