Quetta, Aug 24 (IANS) At least two children were killed and 14 others critically injured in a blast in Balochistan’s Pishin district on Saturday, adding up to the latest string of attacks targetting security officials in the province.
The blast occurred during the busy morning hours at the main market near Surkhab Chowk of Pishin district. As per the eyewitnesses, the bomb was planted in a parked motorcycle. The explosion claimed lives of children and injured several others, including two women.
Pishin City Station House Officer (SHO) Mujibur Rehman confirmed that two policemen are also among those critically injured and have been referred to the Quetta hospital.
The area was cordoned off by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and the bomb disposal squad, who have started their investigations into the incident and are collecting evidence for further probe.
Local sources in Pishin also confirmed to IANS that the attack seemed to target police officials as the motorbike was parked near the office of Pishin Deputy Commissioner.
“The Deputy Commissioner’s office is very close to the site of the blast. And there is a presence of police officials in the surrounding area all through the day,” said a resident of the area.
The latest incident is part of a series of attacks carried out by banned outfits like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its affiliate organisations in different parts of Balochistan.
Similarly, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have also targetted Pakistani army and security personnel in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
Pishin district in Balochistan has been under the terror radar recently. Last month, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast left at least three CTD officials and three locals critically injured. It was later revealed that the attack was aimed at a CTD vehicle carrying security personnel.
The attacks have intensified in the two provinces after the TTP broke a ceasefire agreement with the Pakistani government in 2022 and vowed to target the security forces.
BLA and TTP have also joined hands and are now working in close collaboration to carry out such attacks on security installations and police check posts across the two sensitive provinces.
Security experts reckon that these groups have started to carry out parallel attacks in different parts of Balochistan.
“Today’s attack comes just two days after a roadside blast in Noshki left two people injured while a convoy of Frontier Corps was passing by. The same day, a Quick Response Force soldier of the Frontier Corps was martyred and seven others injured in Kech district’s Buleda area,” said security analyst Imtiaz Gul.
“The attacks in Balochistan seem to be planned and well-orchestrated. Since the BLA is now actively getting support from TTP and Afghanistan, the attacks have surged keeping the security forces on a high alert,” he added.
Saturday’s attack has been widely condemned by the government officials and politicians.
“Those targetting innocent children do not deserve to be called human beings,” said Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
“This war against terrorism will continue till the terrorists and their enablers are eradicated. The fight is for Pakistan’s honour and to give the future generations a peaceful and safe country,” he added.
Balochistan provincial government’s spokesperson Shahid Rind said that the anti-state elements do not deserve any concession.
“Anti-society and anti-state elements do not deserve any concession. Terrorists are targetting innocent people to achieve their nefarious goals,” he said.
–IANS
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