At least 10 people – six civilians and four security personnel – were injured after a bomb targeting a vehicle of Quetta's Anti-Terrorism Force went off in the city on Thursday. The explosion took place near Al Khair Hospital in the Balochistan provincial capital's Zarghon Road. The roadside blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings, as well, Dawn reported.
The bomb exploded as the ATF vehicle was passing it. A bomb disposal unit and security team have reached the spot. The injured were taken to Civil Hospital and Combined Military Hospital, as police cordoned off the area.
This is the second blast to hit Quetta in the past week. At least 70 people were killed and more than 100 were injured after an explosion ripped through Civil Hospital on August 8. The Jamaat-ur-Ahrar – a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban – had claimed the attack, after which dozens of city lawyers went on strike to protest against the death of their colleagues, who made up most of the victims.
Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the latest attack in the provincial capital and said, "These blasts are aimed at sabotaging Independence Day activities in Balochistan...We are reviewing our security measures, and you will see changes on the ground."
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