Guwahati: At least nine security officers died and 13 others were injured in a suicide assault that happened on Monday in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan.
According to reports, the blast occurred in the Balochistan province as the officers were travelling back to Quetta, the provincial capital, after policing a celebration. Photos taken at the site revealed a police truck that had been crushed and turned over, with blood stains covering the ground.
Moreover, this is the second time in the previous 24 hours that security personnel have been attacked in Balochistan. However, no terrorist outfit has come forward to claim responsibility of the attack, as of yet.
The BBC cited Sami Agha, the deputy police commissioner of the Kachhi district, who verified the attack was a suicide bombing. According to Reuters, the assailant reportedly rammed a motorcycle into the truck, setting off the explosion.
The Balochistani government has denounced the attack and announced that an investigation has been opened. Authorities stated that a bomb disposal team is currently on site to collect evidence, and that the area surrounding the scene of the incident has been cordoned off.
The Chief Minister of Balochistan, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said, “All such conspiracies against peace in the province will be made unsuccessful with the public’s support.”
It should be mentioned that today’s incident is the most recent in a string of attacks in Pakistan that have a similar target: security personnel. In Gwadar, a port city in the province, a bomb attack on Sunday targeted a vehicle, killing a security officer and injuring eight others.
The Balochistan Liberation Front, a militant separatist group that is illegal, claimed responsibility for that assault.