At least 10 people were killed and 32 others injured on Tuesday after a bomb struck a busy street in Quetta, according to authorities in Balochistan.
“Ten people have been killed while 32 were injured in the blast. The injured have been taken to the Civil Hospital and Trauma Center,” he told Dawn News.
The Balochistan Health Department imposed an emergency in hospitals across the capital after the explosion, which occurred near Zarghoon Road, directing all consultants, doctors, pharmacists, staff nurses, and paramedical staff to remain present in the hospitals.
The blast was reportedly followed by heavy gunfire, sending panic through the area.
In a statement, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the Quetta blast. “Following the incident, security forces responded promptly and effectively, eliminating four terrorists,” he said. “Terrorists cannot dampen the nation’s spirit with their cowardly actions. The sacrifices of the public and security institutions will not go in vain. We are committed to making Balochistan peaceful and secure. I express solidarity with the families of the martyrs, pray for their elevated ranks, and for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also lauded the forces for eliminating the terrorists involved in the attack and prayed for quick recovery of security personnel wounded in the incident. He vowed to ensure exemplary punishment to the elements trying to harm the integrity of Pakistan, and reaffirmed the resolve to eradicate terrorism from the country.
President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the incident, saying “India-backed terrorists” were responsible. “President Asif Ali Zardari has strongly condemned the suicide attack in Quetta carried out by the Fitna-al-Khawarij, the misguided extremists acting on India’s agenda,” read a statement from the President’s Secretariat.
“The president said that the elements serving the interests of Fitna-al-Khawarij and India cannot undermine Pakistan’s peace and stability. He commended the security forces for their timely and effective response, which foiled the malicious designs of the terrorists,” it said, adding he had “prayed for the swift recovery of the injured FC personnel and lauded the courage and resolve of the country’s security forces in defending the motherland.”