Bomb blast near hospital in Pakistan's Quetta, 10 injured

At least 10 people were injured in a blast near a hospital in Quetta in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Balochistan province, days after a deadly attack killed 75 people and injured 115 others in the same area.

The bomb was planted along the side of the road and exploded as the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) vehicle passed by.

According to rescue officials, six civilians and four security officials were injured in a roadside blast targeting a vehicle belonging to the ATF near Al Khair Hospital in Balochistan’s provincial capital, which also shattered windows of nearby buildings, the Dawn reported.

Security forces and a bomb disposal squad reached the scene to collect evidence. Rescue teams moved the injured to nearby hospitals.

Police cordoned off the area as a search operation went underway.

“This is a busy road and the terrorists take advantage of this, planting bombs and fleeing on motorcycles,” said Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, strongly condemning the attack while talking to media at the site of the blast.

“These blasts are aimed at sabotaging Independence Day activities in Balochistan. I believe these cowardly acts will not bring down our morale. We are in a conflict zone and we will fight with renewed resolve,” the minister said.

“We are reviewing our security measures and you will see changes on the ground,” he said.The minister added that three to four kilograms of explosive material was used in the blast, the paper said.

The explosion comes just days after a suicide bombing killed 75 people and injured 115, mostly lawyers and journalists, at the emergency ward of Quetta’s Civil Hospital on Monday.

A combing operation is ongoing throughout Quetta following Monday’s blast.