Islamabad: At least one person was killed and seven others injured on Tuesday in an explosion in Turbat city of Balochistan province, officials said. The wounded have been shifted to District Headquarters Hospital.
The blast that took place in the market destroyed a few shops and nearby vehicles, local media reported. Further investigation into the nature of the blast is underway, police said. Following the explosion, security forces cordoned off the area to collect evidence. Initial reports suggest it was an improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a bike.
Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani expressed grief and vowed that “agenda of anti-state elements will never be allowed to succeed.”
Pakistan’s southern province has seen a surge in terror attacks in recent months. Three days ago, a terrorist attack on the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) officials near Mashkel killed at least two ANF personnel and injured six. A group of 50-60 armed assailants attacked the ANF team as they were returning after seizing a huge quantity of illicit drugs. The gunbattle raged for over three hours during which rockets were also fired that destroyed two ANF vehicles.
On July 14, at least three soldiers of Pakistan Army were killed and eight others injured, five of them critically, when terrorists attacked the convoy during routine patrolling near Gichak valley in Balochistan’s Panjgur district, the military said.
In May, at least six security forces personnel were killed when a remote-controlled IED struck their vehicle near Pakistan-Iran border.
