2 dead, 17 injured in blast near police vehicle in Quetta market – Pakistan

Two people were killed and 17 others injured after an explosion occurred near a police vehicle in the Barech Market area on Quetta’s Double Road, officials said.

Confirming the deaths, Balochistan’s health department spokesperson Dr Waseem Baig said, “The injured have been moved to the trauma centre at Civil Hospital.”

Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Hadi Kakar told Dawn.com that the condition of four wounded people is critical.

The Balochistan Government Spokesperson Shahid Rind said in a statement that the explosion occurred near a police vehicle, adding that the nature of the blast was being determined.

A Dawn.com correspondent present at the site of the incident also said that a police vehicle was hit by the explosion.

Last week, a member of the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) was martyred and six others were injured —three of them critically— when a roadside bomb targeted a police vehicle on Quetta’s Brewery Road.

The security situation in Balochistan has deteriorated over the last few months, with separatist militants frequently attacking police and armed forces personnel.

The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to cause higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. Last year, the Interior Ministry noted a “significant rise in terrorism incidents and evolving terrorism patterns” since the Afghan Taliban seized control of Kabul in August 2021, especially in the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s activities in KP, the Baloch nationalist insurgency in Balochistan, and ethno-nationalist violence in Sindh.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.