Four wounded in Quetta blast

QUETTA: At least four people were wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Quetta on Friday, police officials said.

Police officials said based on preliminary investigation, the explosive was planted on a motorcycle parked near a mosque. Roads and shops were shut down as panic gripped the area. There was no immediate word as to the intensity of the blast.

Television footage of the scene showed the motorcycle engulfed in flames with thick plumes of smoke billowing from it. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

A heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies and rescue teams reached the spot. The law enforcers cordoned off the site and launched a search operation in the area to arrest the unidentified culprits.