DIG among three policemen martyred in Quetta suicide attack

QUETTA:  Three policemen including SSP Hamid Shakil were martyred when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the provincial capital, police said on Thursday.

SSP Operation Nasebullah confirmed that SSP Hamid Shakil and two officers were martyred in a blast on the Airport Road.   

Officials said the attack hit the vehicle of Quetta´s Deputy Inspector General of Police Hamid Shakil during his morning commute in the provincial capital.

"Hamid Shakil, his driver and an assistant sub-inspector were martyred when a suspected suicide bomber struck his motorcycle with his vehicle," senior police official Naseeb Ullah told AFP.

Four other policemen were also wounded in the bombing, the officer said, adding that Shakil was wounded in the blast but died en route to hospital.

Commissioner Quetta Amjad Ali Khan confirmed the attack and said that according to initial reports it was a suicide bombing, but he would wait for investigators to follow up on the nature of the incident.

Four vehicles were also damaged in the the blast.

According to Geo News, the injured were taken to the Combined Military Hospital for treatment. Two of the injured were said to be in critical condition.

A Geo TV correspondent said the explosion was so loud that it shattered the window panes of nearby buildings and  was heard across the city.  

A large number of police and paramilitary troops rushed to the area and cordoned off the blast site near an under construction building on the Airport Road.

Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Twitter that the Army Chief has condemned the attack on police.

Attack on Police in Qta condemned. COAS acknowledges contributions of Police/ LEAs for peace. Sacrifices like DIG Hamid shall not go waste.

— Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) November 9, 2017