16 people killed and injured in Quetta bomb explosion

At least five people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were killed and more than 16 injured when a bomb planted on a cycle went off in the Shahbaz Town area of Quetta on Wednesday, reported Express News. The government sources claimed that five people were killed, while rescue sources claimed that at least seven people have been killed in the blast. The Bomb Disposal Squad confirmed that a 15kg bomb was planted on a motorcycle. There are reports of another bomb present in the area. Secretary Interior Balochistan Akbar Hussain Durrani told the media that a vehicle of security officials was targeted in the blast killing three people and injuring seven. “This is terrorism. But the morale of the provincial government and security forces to fight it is high,” he said. CPO Quetta Mir Zubair also said that three people were killed and seven were injured. “We are in a state of war,” he stated. He also said that initial reports suggested that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used in the blast. The injured were shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), while four of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The security and rescue officials reached the site immediately and cordoned off the area. The blast took place near the main gate of the district jail, while the office of IG prisons is also nearby