QUETTA - At least five persons were martyred and 18 others injured when a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off alongside a road in Chaman.
The injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital Chaman while critically injured were referred to the Civil Hospital Quetta, officials said. Authorities announced a state of emergency in local hospitals following the bomb blast. Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Javed Akhtar said that on the directives of the Secretary Health Balochistan, Dostain Jamaldini, an emergency was declared in the Civil Sandeman Hospital Quetta following the bomb blast.
“Doctors, Orthopedic surgeon, Neurosurgeon, General surgeon, nurses, pharmacists and paramedical staff was present in Trauma Center in order to provide best medical facility to the patients shifted to Quetta,” Dr Javed told local journalists. Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan strongly condemned the blast which occurred at The Mall near Chaman area of Killa Abdullah district. Police sources said unknown miscreants had fitted an IED with a motorbike and parked in front of Haji Nida Market, Mall Road near Chaman. “IED planted at motorbike went off leaving five people martyred while 14 others injured, some of them critically,” police said adding that the injured were moved to district headquarters hospital.
On Monday evening, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi strongly condemned the terrorist incident in Chaman, saying enemy once again had attempted to disrupt the law and order of Balochistan. Qureshi said every effort would be made to eradicate militancy from the country. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in Chaman’s Mall road area this morning, killing five and injuring several others. The foreign minister prayed for departed souls to rest in peace, for solace of bereaved families and for the early recovery of injured.
‘Enemy’s attempt to disrupt law and order’
The Chief Minister also expressed his deep sorrow over loss of precious lives in cowardly act of terrorism.
He said terrorist elements wanted to destroy Chaman’s peace to achieve their nefarious goals, saying the plan to install a fence on the Pak-Afghan border was an obstacle to the nefarious intentions of anti-national elements. The installation of the fence would eliminate terrorism and illegal transportation and could improve the law and order situation in the province, including in the border areas, he said.
He said such cowardly attack could not weaken moral security forces and public and also asked reports of the incident from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Balochistan. The Chief Minister expressed his firm commitment for the complete eradication of terrorism. The Chief Minister expressed his condolences and sympathy to the families of the martyrs and prayed for early recovery the injured of blast. He also directed Health Department to provide best treatment facilities to the injured victims.
A few victims having critical injuries were shifted to Quetta, local administration said. Three of martyred were identified as Hikmatullah, Muhammad Shafi and Muhammad Jalil. The injured including Salahuddin, Abdul Hameed, Lal Shah, Muhammad Ghaus, Abdul Nasir, Shah Muhammad, Nasir, Mir, Hamza, Abdul Wahid, Raheel, Muahmmad Ali, Jalal and Siraj. The security forces cordoned off the area and launched search for the culprits.