This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle has targeted a military truck with a bomb killing eight soldiers and seven civilians in the south-western city of Quetta, Pakistani officials have said.

Kabeer Khan, an explosives expert who examined the site, said after collecting forensic evidence that it was a suicide attack and that the attacker had been carrying 25kg of “incendiary explosives” on a motorcycle that he had rammed into the military truck.

A military statement said the bomb also wounded 25 people, including 15 civilians. It said the explosives sparked fires in nearby vehicles. It added that all the victims were taken to a military hospital.

The Pakistani army chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, condemned the attack. He said in a statement that it was an attempt to mar the independence day festivities. “Our resolve won’t succumb to any challenge,” Bajwa said.

Why Pakistan and India remain in denial 70 years on from partition Read more

Sarfraz Bugti, the home minister for Balochistan, said the attack had happened near a private hospital. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by Baloch separatist groups who want a greater share of the province’s mineral and gas resources. Militant groups operating in the province have previously claimed responsibility for attacks on security forces.</s>An explosion in Pakistan’s Quetta on Saturday left 15 people dead and 32 others injured, among them both members of the armed forces and civilians. The suspected suicide blast targeted an Army vehicle in the Pishon Stop area.

Among those killed, eight were security personnel, and another 10 were among those wounded, Dawn reported. An emergency was subsequently declared in the city. No one has claimed responsibility yet for the attack.

The government of Balochistan, where Quetta is located, denied that there had been a lapse in security. However, a number of such attacks have taken place in the city over the past few months. At least 14 people were killed in a similar bombing in the Shuhada Chowk area in June.

The attack came two days before Pakistan’s Independence Day, August 14.</s>Quetta: At least 15 people, including 8 soldiers, were killed and 40 others injured after a suicide bomber targetted an army truck in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province Saturday night.

The incident took place when the truck was passing through Quetta’s Pishin bus stop.

“A man riding a motorbike came close to the army truck and blew himself up,” as per sources. It also reported that around 25-30 kilograms of explosives were used in the suicide attack. The explosion was so loud that its sound was heard across the city.

No terror outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.</s>At least 15 people, including 8 soldiers, were killed and 40 others injured after a suicide bomber targetted an army truck in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province Saturday night. The incident took place when the truck was passing through Quetta’s Pishin bus stop.

The injured were immediately rushed to Quetta Civil Hospital. Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said: “We can now confirm that 15 people have died in the explosion today. At least 32 others are wounded.”

“A man riding a motorbike came close to the army truck and blew himself up,” a senior official of the Bomb Disposal Squad told Pakistan site Dawn. It also reported that around 25-30 kilograms of explosives were used in the suicide attack. The explosion was so loud that its sound was heard across the city.

The intensity of the explosion was such that even the three fire tenders which immediately reached the spot could not control it in time. The site of the explosion is in close proximity to the Balochistan Assembly, Quetta Law College, a private hospital and many offices.

The public relations department of the Pakistan military said that 10 security officials were injured in the attack. “Incendiary explosive was used in the blast due to which nearby vehicles caught fire,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)reported. It added that the terrorists had used “incendiary explosives” due to which many vehicles in the affected area also caught fire.

No terror outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that two cars, four rickshaws and two motorbikes caught fire in the explosion. The blast site is being investigated by security personnel and an emergency has been declared in the city following the blast.

“It was an attempt to mar Independence Day festivity in the city,” Dawn quoted the Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa as saying. He also added that the army’s resolve won’t succumb to any challenge.

The interior minister will be reviewing the security situation in Quetta during his visit to the blast hit area and would later brief the prime minister about the same, according to a statement made by the Prime Minister House.

Sources told Dawn that a threat alert had already been issued two weeks ago which stated that an explosive-laden vehicle had entered Quetta and there was a possibility of a blast near a crowded place or a market. Since the Independence Day is round the corner, security arrangements had already been beefed up in the area.

Similar incidents have been taking place in the country since the last few months. In June, at least 14 people were killed and 19 others injured after a suicide blast hit the Shuhada Chowk in Quetta’s Gulistan Road area. Three security officials were injured in another attack in Johan area of Kalat earlier in June.

In the Jiwani area of Gwadar district, two navy sailors had lost their lives and at least three were left wounded after their vehicle was attacked in June, just two days after the Kalat blast.

Meanwhile Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain has condemned the Quetta suicide attack.

With Inputs from IANS and Dawn.com

For all the latest Pakistan News, download Indian Express App</s>
• At least 15 people, including 8 soldiers, were killed and 40 others injured after a suicide bomber targetted an army truck in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province Saturday night. The incident took place when the truck was passing through Quetta’s Pishin bus stop. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
• The injured were immediately rushed to Quetta Civil Hospital. Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said: “We can now confirm that 15 people have died in the explosion today. At least 32 others are wounded.” (Reuters/Naseer Ahmed)
• Paramilitary soldiers and rescue workers at the scene trying to rescue the injured. (Reuters/Naseer Ahmed)
• A man riding a motorbike came close to the army truck and blew himself up,” a senior official of the Bomb Disposal Squad told Pakistan site Dawn. It also reported that around 25-30 kilograms of explosives were used in the suicide attack. The explosion was so loud that its sound was heard across the city. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
• The intensity of the explosion was such that even the three fire tenders which immediately reached the spot could not control it in time. The site of the explosion is in close proximity to the Balochistan Assembly, Quetta Law College, a private hospital and many offices. (AP Photo/ Arshad Butt)</s>Explosion near site of independence day celebrations claims at least 15 lives in main city of Balochistan province.

A blast in the Pakistani city of Quetta in Balochistan province has killed at least 15 people and injured 32 others, reports say, in an incident blamed by the military on "terrorists".

Saturday's explosion targeted a military truck, killing eight soldiers and seven civilians, who were nearby, the Pakistan's military said in a statement.

The military said an incendiary explosive was used causing fire in vehicles parked near the area.

The blast occurred near a stadium where celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of Pakistan's independence were under way.

"We can now confirm that 15 people have died in the explosion today. At least 32 others are wounded," Balochistan home minister Sarfraz Bugti told AFP, adding that a rescue operation was still underway.

A spokesman for the Balochistan government, Anwar ul Haq Kakar also confirmed the toll. 



Bugti said workers were busy extinguishing the blaze. He said the holidays of all doctors in the city were suspended.

"We are trying to transfer injured people to hospitals as soon as possible. Workers are also busy extinguishing the fire at the site," he said. 

 

The nature of the blast could not immediately be determined but an investigation was underway, Bugti said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province, has seen frequent attacks targeting government buildings and security forces, as well as civilians.

In June at least 12 people were killed and 14 others wounded in a suicide car attack near the provincial police headquarters.

In February, two bomb disposal squad members were killed and 11 others wounded in an explosion under Quetta's Saryab bridge, local media reported.

In August last year, at least 74 people were killed in a suicide attack on the city's Civil Hospital, while another 60 were killed in an attack on a police academy two months later.

Past attacks in the province have been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, ISIL, as well as by Baloch separatist fighters who are fighting for independence from Pakistan.

The province has also seen a number of attacks carried out by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's Al Alami faction, a group with ties to ISIL, known for attacking Shia Muslims.

With additional reporting by Al Jazeera's Asad Hashim. Follow him on Twitter @AsadHashim.</s>At least 15 people were killed and 32 injured after explosion rocked a high-security zone of Quetta’s Pishin Stop in Pakistan tonight, according to DawnNews. Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said the deceased include officials of security force and civilians. The city has been put on high alert following the blast. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army, said that an on-duty security vehicle was targeted in the blast and added 10 security officials were also injured in the attack. ISPR said “Incendiary explosive was used in the blast due to which nearby vehicles caught fire,” as per DawnNews.

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa condemned the attack in Quetta which he called “an attempt to mar Independence Day festivity” in the country, as per The Express Tribune. The injured people were taken to a Civil Hospital in Quetta. “Our first priority is to carry out rescue operations,” Bugti said. Police and other law enforcement forces have cordoned off the area. The Balochistan Assembly, Quetta Law College, a private hospital and many offices are located in the area where the explosion occurred.

Bugti said, “It would be unfair to call the incident a security lapse.” He added the terrorists do not want the people to celebrate the Independence Day. However, there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.</s>Pakistan's army says "terrorists" targeted a military truck with a bomb on August 12, killing eight soldiers and seven civilians in the southwestern city of Quetta.

 

 A military statement said the bomb also wounded 25 people, including 15 civilians.

 

 It said incendiary explosives were used and that the bomb started fires in nearby vehicles.

 

 Balochistan Province’s Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the explosion occurred near a private hospital.

 

 There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

 

 Quetta is near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan and Balochistan Province also borders Iran to the west.

 

 The province has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by Baloch separatist groups that want a greater share of the mineral and natural gas resources from the area.

 

 Quetta also has been a stronghold for Taliban militants who frequently cross the border and carry out attacks against security forces in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Based on reporting by AP and dawn.com</s>A deadly explosion ripped through a vehicle of the Pakistani armed forces in Quetta city the provincial capital of Balochistan, leaving scores of people dead or wounded.

According to the local officials, the incident took place late on Saturday night after a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle target an army truck.

The officials further added that fifteen people including eight Pakistani soldiers were killed and around forty others were wounded in the attack.

Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the death toll in the attack but he said only 32 people were wounded.

No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility behind the attack.

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa condemned the attack and called it a move by the enemies of the country to deteriorate the situation as the independence day celebrations are underway.

However, he said “our resolve won’t succumb to any challenge.”

Last night’s attack followed almost 24 hours after an explosion ripped through a bus in Bajaur Agency of Pakistan, leaving at least three people dead and around 25 others wounded.

Follow Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook. Stay updated via RSS</s>At least 15 people were martyred and dozens wounded – some of them critically – in a bomb attack on a military truck in a high-security neighbourhood of Quetta on Saturday night.

 The bomb went off at the busy Pishin Stop triggering a fire on several vehicles parked nearby. The military’s media wing, the ISPR, confirmed 15 shaheed, including seven civilians, and 32 injured, among them 15 civilians. “Incendiary explosives were used in the attack,” it added.

 Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti also confirmed that a military truck was the target. He said it was not immediately clear if it was a suicide blast or a remotely controlled explosive device.

 The casualties have been shifted to the city’s hospitals where a state of emergency was declared. Medics say some of the injured have life-threatening wounds, while the bodies of the dead are charred beyond recognition.

 According to the ISPR, army troops threw a security cordon around the area as fire engines reached the site to douse the blaze on the vehicles.

 Police were not sure about the nature of the explosion before the bomb disposal squad was called in.

 Windows of buildings in the neighbourhood have been shattered by the thud of the blast. Pishin Stop is a busy area which is dotted with hotels, restaurants and shops.

 It is also a high-security zone which houses several important buildings, including FC Headquarters, Balochistan Assembly, Chief Minister House, Governor House and Balochistan High Court.

 Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa condemned the terrorist attack on the army truck in Quetta which he called “an attempt to mar Independence Day festivity” in the country.

 Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi condemned the bombing and directed the authorities concerned to provide best medical treatment to the injured.

 “We will continue to work to eliminate the menace of terrorism from our country,” he said in a statement.

 Deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who led a massive rally into Lahore after travelling from Islamabad for three days, also denounced the Quetta blast in his speech to a huge crowd.

 He offered condolences to the families of the victims.
A suicide bombing took place near a Pakistan army truck in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, leaving 15 people dead including 8 soldiers, while injuring 40 others.