Bombs killed at least 40 people in Pakistan on Friday, with a suicide car bomber killing 13 in the southwestern city of Quetta, and two blasts later claiming at least 27 lives in the northwestern town of Parachinar, officials said.

A separate gun attack on police in the southern megacity of Karachi killed four officers on Friday evening, a security official said.

Seven police officers were among those killed in the first attack, in Quetta, which happened when police stopped the car to search it at a checkpoint.

Abdul Razzaq Cheema, director general of police in Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is capital, told Reuters the bomber had detonated a car packed with explosives.

At least 13 bodies were taken to hospital, along with 19 wounded people, said Wasim Baig, a spokesman for the Civil Hospital in Quetta. Nine security officials were among the wounded, said Fareed Sumalan, a doctor at the hospital.

Jamaat ur Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack in a message sent to Reuters by its spokesman, Asad Mansur.

“Our attacks will continue until a true sharia system is enforced in Pakistan,” the spokesman said, referring to Islamic law.

Islamic State (IS) also claimed responsibility for the attack in a message sent to journalists. Jamaat ur Ahrar and IS have jointly claimed responsibility for past attacks in Pakistan.

In the evening, several hundred kilometers to the northeast, two explosions in the town of Parachinar killed at least 27 people and wounded 120, a government official told Reuters.

The blasts were in a market and within three minutes of each other, senior government official Wazir Khan Wazir said. Parachinar is near the border with Afghanistan.

Many people were at the market buying food for iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims break the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan ends this weekend.

No group claimed responsibility for the Parachinar blasts.

In Baluchistan, provincial government spokesman Anwar ul Haq Kakar said the Quetta car bomb went off near the office of the inspector general (IG) of police.

“It’s possible the IG office was the target, or the assailants were trying to enter the cantonment which is close by,” he said, referring to an army housing area.

An official from Baluchistan’s bomb disposal unit said the car had contained up to 95 kg of explosives.

Television footage showed emergency workers rushing to the debris-strewn scene as security officials cordoned it off.

Quetta is about 100 km (60 miles) east of the border with Afghanistan.

Resource-rich Baluchistan province has been plagued by violence for years. Separatist rebels are battling government forces while Taliban and other militant Islamist groups also operate there.

Baluchistan is also a main center of Chinese-backed “Belt and Road” infrastructure and energy projects involving some $57 billion worth of investment across Pakistan.

Militants loyal to the Islamic State group abducted and killed two Chinese nationals in Quetta last month.

That attack prompted Pakistan to boost security for Chinese nationals and other foreigners in the province, which is already one of the most militarized regions in the country.

Late on Friday, in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and financial capital, four police were shot dead as they were observing the iftar meal to break the daily Ramadan fast, local TV and a security official said.</s>Islamabad, Pakistan - At least 12 people have been killed and 14 wounded in a suicide car bomb attack near the provincial police chief's office in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, police officials told Al Jazeera.

The explosion on Friday morning struck a police checkpoint near a complex that is housing the Balochistan police chief's office, local police officer Muhammad Akbar said.

At least six police officers were among those killed, Ali Mardan, a senior police officer, told Al Jazeera.

Initial reports indicated a vehicle approached the checkpoint and explosives were set off when the driver of the vehicle was stopped by the police, provincial government spokesperson Anwar ul-Haq Kakar told local television channel Geo News.

"At 8:45am (03:45 GMT), there was an old car, a Toyota Corolla ... that came here near the [police chief's] office and it was stopped by the police personnel. That is when the blast took place," he said.

"There was no exchange of fire, but it's possible that law-enforcement personnel may have fired into the air."

Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistan Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent out its spokesperson Asad Mansoor.

Altaf Hussain, local police official, said: "Some of the wounded are still in critical condition. Most are police personnel, as well as a traffic warden."

"It was a suicide attack. They came to the intersection and then blew themselves up there," said Hussain.

Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said the Inspector General's office was the likely target of the attack.

"The attack took place in the red zone, close to the IG's office as well as the State Bank of Pakistan," he said.

"Authorities are saying the IG's office could've been the target."

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

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.

Targeting CPEC

The resource-rich province is central to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $56bn trade and infrastructure project that seeks to create a major trade route from southwestern China to the Arabian Sea through the Balochistan port of Gwadar.

Security in Balochistan has been a major concern for CPEC, with separatists regularly attacking workers building road and other projects associated with the corridor.

Earlier this month, two Chinese citizens were kidnapped and killed in the province.

Pakistan has established a Special Security Division comprising 15,000 troops to secure the CPEC corridor and projects associated with it.

The Pakistani government and military have repeatedly blamed neighbours India for fomenting instability in Balochistan, although officials have presented limited evidence to back this claim.

On Thursday, Kulbhashan Yadav, an Indian national who has been convicted and sentenced to death by a military court for funding and planning attacks in Balochistan for the Indian spy agency RAW, submitted a confession and mercy petition to Pakistan's army chief, the Pakistani military said.</s>Local Afghan police chief says at least 15 killed in suicide car bombing in capital of southern Helmand province.</s>QUETTA, Pakistan: A suicide car bomber killed at least seven people, including four police officers, in an attack near a checkpoint in the volatile southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday (Jun 23), officials said.

Abdul Razzaq Cheema, director general of police in Baluchistan province, told Reuters it appeared the bomber had detonated a car packed with explosives. He said 15 people had been wounded.

"Seven dead bodies have been brought to the Civil Hospital in Quetta and at least five people are in critical condition," Cheema said.

Four of those killed were police officers, while nine security officials were among the wounded, said Fareed Sumalan, a doctor at the Civil Hospital.

Baluchistan government spokesman Anwar ul Haq Kakar said the blast happened near the office of the inspector general of police when officers stopped the car to search it near a checkpoint.

"It's possible the IG office was the target, or the assailants were trying to enter the (army) cantonment which is close by," he said.

Television footage showed emergency services rushing to the scene, which was covered in debris, while security officials cordoned off the area.

Quetta is about 100 km (60 miles) east of the border with Afghanistan and is the capital of Baluchistan, which has been plagued by militant violence. The province is the base of a separatist movement as well as home to the Taliban and other militant Islamist groups.

It is also at the centre of Chinese-backed "Belt and Road" development projects worth US$57 billion that first focussed on Chinese firms building roads and power stations but is now expanding to include setting up industries.

Militants from the Islamic State group abducted and killed two Chinese nationals in Quetta last month.

That attack prompted Pakistan to boost security around Chinese nationals and other foreigners in the province, which is already one of the most militarised regions in the country.</s>QUETTA, Pakistan: A suicide car bomber killed at least 11 people, including four police officers, in an attack near a checkpoint in the volatile southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday, officials said.

Abdul Razzaq Cheema, director general of police in Baluchistan province, told Reuters it appeared the bomber had detonated a car packed with explosives.

At least 11 bodies were taken to hospital, along with 19 wounded people, said Wasim Baig, a spokesman for the Civil Hospital in Quetta.

Four of those killed were police officers, while nine security officials were among the wounded, said Fareed Sumalan, a doctor at the Civil Hospital.

Baluchistan government spokesman Anwar ul Haq Kakar said the blast happened near the office of the inspector general of police when officers stopped the car to search it near a checkpoint.

"It's possible the IG office was the target, or the assailants were trying to enter the (army) cantonment which is close by," he said.

Television footage showed emergency services rushing to the scene, which was covered in debris, while security officials cordoned off the area.

The normally busy intersection - which lies between a girls' school, a girls' college, the police office and the entrance to the army cantonment - was relatively quiet because Friday was a public holiday ahead of the Eid celebrations marking the end of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.

Quetta is about 100 km (60 miles) east of the border with Afghanistan and is the capital of Baluchistan, which has been plagued by militant violence. The province is the base of a separatist movement as well as home to the Taliban and other militant Islamist groups.

It is also at the centre of Chinese-backed "Belt and Road" development projects worth US$57 billion that first focussed on Chinese firms building roads and power stations but is now expanding to include setting up industries.

Militants from the Islamic State group abducted and killed two Chinese nationals in Quetta last month.

That attack prompted Pakistan to boost security around Chinese nationals and other foreigners in the province, which is already one of the most militarized regions in the country.</s>A suicide car bomber killed at least seven people, including four police officers, in an attack near a checkpoint in the volatile south-western Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday, officials said. Abdul Razzaq Cheema, director general of police in Baluchistan province, told Reuters it appeared the bomber had detonated a car packed with explosives.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Cyprus Weekly.</s>Quetta, June 23: Five persons have been killed and 13 others were left injured in an explosion near IGP office in Quetta on Thursday. As per the latest reports, the police have cordon off the area.

Start the conversation, or Read more at India.com.</s>The vehicle carrying the explosives was stopped by police at a checkpoint, Anwar Ul Haq Kakar, the spokesman for the provincial government of Balochistan, Pakistan, told CNN.

Another 21 people were injured, according to Waseem Baig, a spokesman for Quetta's Civil Hospital.

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif issued a statement condemning the attack, which comes near the end of Ramadan this weekend.

"These cowardly attacks are a sign of growing frustration of terrorists and extremists who have even targeted innocent civilians during the Holy month of Ramadan," Nawaz Sharif said.

"Such elements deserve no mercy and will meet their fate soon in view of the unflinching and united resolve of the entire nation against terrorism and extremism."</s>Quetta - Thirteen people including seven policemen were martyred Friday morning when a car laden with explosives was blown by a suicide attacker in front of Balochistan police chief’s office in Quetta.

The powerful bomb - weighing 75 to 95 kilogram – also injured 21 other people, besides destroying a police pick-up and damaging other vehicles at Shuhada Chowk in Gulistan Road area.

The explosion was heard across the whole city and the bang shattered windowpanes of many buildings in the vicinity. Pieces of glass, blood and human flesh littered the site.

The area was cordoned off, and rescuers shifted the dead and wounded to Sandeman Hospital, Bolan Medical Complex and Combined Military Hospital. The security at all hospitals of the city was also strengthened in fear of further terror strikes.

Daesh’s local affiliate as well as Taliban’s splinter Jamatul Ahrar made conflicting claims for the attack, which Balochistan Government Spokesman Anwar ul Haq Kakar blamed on India, saying the Indians were using terrorism as a weapon against Pakistan. He confirmed 11 casualties and 21 injured.

“As many as 13 bodies, seven of them of police officials, have been brought to Sandeman Hospital,” hospital spokesman Dr Waseem Baig told The Nation.

Baig said 17 of the 21 injured brought to them had been discharged after providing first aid, while four were admitted at Trauma Centre.

After the attack, emergency was declared all state-run hospitals and vacations of doctors and paramedics cancelled.

The grief-stricken relatives poured into Civil Hospital and their screaming and tears, making every heart wrenched.

Worried children stood by the bloodstained cots of wounded relatives, and soldiers visited injured colleagues.

Most of the onlookers broke into tears when a doleful mother of a slain policeman entered the hospital.

“Look, my beloved son has embraced martyrdom,” she screamed, as she waved her mobile phone, showing a picture of her son, to the media crews.

“I am devastated,” she said repeatedly, and no one had any words that could solace the distressed mother who had just lost her young son.

The hospital sources said a pack of new currency notes of 10 rupees denomination was found the pocket of a martyred police cop, which made the otherwise strong-nerved staff to feel anguished.

Stunned survivors could give few details about the attack. "I was sitting on a chair. There was an explosion. I got injured and fell down," said one victim, Gulzar Ahmad.

The deceased policemen were Sajid Ali, Lal Khan, Ghani Khan, Faisal, Ghulam Shabeer, Kashif and Naheem. There funeral prayer was offered at Quetta Police Lines.

The other identified casualties included Dr Abdul Rehman (Livestock Department), Amin, Sanaullah and Sajad Hussain (all three of them Wapda employees), Anwar Ali, who was a Quetta Development Authority staffer, and an unidentified man.

The blast was claimed by both the local affiliate of the Islamic State group and by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban, according to the SITE monitoring group.

There was no immediate explanation for the dual claims. Islamic State Khorasan Province, the Middle Eastern group's affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been known to work with the myriad of Pakistani militant groups in previous attacks, including with JuA.

How it came!

Deputy Inspector General of Quetta Police Abdul Razzaq Cheema said the policemen deputed outside the Inspector General Police Office tried to stop a suspected vehicle, but the driver drove it on, only to be stopped at next checking point - where he blew the bomb, finding himself unable to break the cordon.

A CC TV camera video footage was also circulated on electronic media, pointing out a white suspected vehicle heading towards police check point and ripped through.

The explosives-loaded 1986 model Toyota Corolla vehicle was blown around 8:45am when policemen tried to stop it, the government spokesman said.

Kakar said the damage was less than such a huge bomb could have done otherwise.

It’s being a holiday, owing to Jumatul Widaa and Youm al-Quds, the damage to human life was minimised, as there was thin traffic on the otherwise much-busy road when the explosion came.

The intensity of blast however was so high that even the windowpanes of buildings at Zarghoon Road, at a considerable distance, too were smashed.

“It was a suicide explosion in which more than 75 kg explosives plus ball-bearings and nuts-bolts were used to unleash maximum damages,” confirmed Civil Defence DG Muhammad Aslam Tareen after a preliminary report.

Another official said the car contained up to 95 kg of explosives.

The area was cleared up by the Bomb Disposal Squad and Technical Staff of Civil Defence Department after following essential SOPs.

The chief minister instructed the IG Police to submit a report of the suicide blast and ordered security forces to strengthen security measures for thwarting more strike bids by the terrorists.

Talking to a private TV channel, Kakar said there was information with the law enforcement agencies that terrorists can strike anytime. He noted the security personnel saved civilians by risking their own lives.

Kakar said India was using terrorism as a weapon against Pakistanis which was highly condemnable and too ominous for the peace in the region.

According to the preliminary investigation, the vehicle used in the attack was registered in the name of one Jameel Ahmed. A fake Sindhi registration number plat was affixed to the vehicle.</s>Explosion near IG Office in Quetta has killed 5 people and over a dozen people have been injured.

Rescue teams are moving the injured to Quetta's Civil Hospital.

Today explosion took place near inspector general of police office on Gulistan road in Quetta.

According to initial reports from police, a car was laden with explosives and a suicide bomber was driving it towards the IG office.

Security teams have cordoned off the area and started an investigation.

The bomb disposal squad has been called to the site and investigations are under way, a police spokesperson said.

A car is said to have been destroyed and windows of nearby buildings smashed due to the intensity of the blast.

The nature of the blast has not been ascertained yet.

Balochistan government spokesman Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar said that the explosion took place at 9:00 am when the police officers were checking the suspected car. He also said, There were already intelligence reports that an attack would take place near Eid, we had increased security.

According to police, extra security measures had being taken for 'Juma tul wida' (the last friday in ramzan) and Eid ul Fitr.
A suicide car bombing at a police checkpoint in Quetta kills at least 13 people.