One police official martyred, 17 injured in Quetta roadside explosion

QUETTA: One police official was martyred and 17 were injured, including four pedestrians, after an explosion took place near the Balochistan University at Quetta’s Saryab Road, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Monday.

Four pedestrians were also injured in the explosion, which took place near a police truck, CTD officials said. The bomb was planted on a motorcycle, according to the CCTV footage of the incident.

The CTD sources said the explosion was triggered by a time device near the police mobile. Soon afterwards, the rescue officials shifted the injured to the Civil Hospital, Quetta, and Bolan Medical Complex Hospital.

Civil Hospital Spokesperson Dr Wasim Baig added that the injured included 13 police officials.

Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove said that police officials were providing security to protesting students outside the varsity when the blast took place. "The attackers wanted to target the students, but police officials were targeted due to tight security arrangements in place," the minister said. Langove added that terrorists wanted to spread chaos by targeting students.

The Balochistan government spokesperson, Liaquat Shahwani, said that a police truck deputed outside the Balochistan University gate was targeted with an explosive device in a motorcycle. He said that those responsible for the blast will be arrested and brought to justice.

The Minister for Interior, Sheikh Rashid, sought a report on the terrorist incident while expressing condolences to the family of the martyred police official. "We will not allow terrorists to disrupt the peace in Balochistan [...] the federal government will provide all necessary resources to the provincial government," he said.