QUETTA: At least three people lost their lives and 18 were wounded in a bomb blast in Balochistan’s provincial capital on Tuesday, according to police officials.

They said that unknown terrorists planted an explosive device on a bicycle and parked it in front of a medical store and later detonated the bicycle laden with the explosive with a remote control.

“During the blast two people were killed on the spot and 19 others were injured. The injured also include four children. All victims of the bicycle bomb blast were civilians,” said Abdul Razzaq Cheema, Deputy Inspector General Police Quetta. Later one of the injured died at hospital.

No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.

Police and FC personnel rushed to the site with rescue workers who shifted the injured and bodies to the trauma centre of the Civil Hospital. Bomb disposal squad also arrived and collected evidence.

“Three of the injured persons are in critical condition,” said officials. The people killed and injured were either sitting inside or outside the shops, they added.

Giving more details, police said three shops including a medical store, three vehicles and two motorcycles were damaged in the blast.

Balochistan Chief Minis­ter Jam Kamal Khan Alyani and Home Minister Mir Zia Langove condemned the blast and expressed their sympathies with the affected families.

Balochistan has been un­der the grip of violence since early this year as more than a dozen people have been killed in separate firing and suicide attacks in the city.

On June 26 in Loralai area, security forces foiled a terror attack killing three suicide bombers when one of the bombers blew himself up near the entrance gate of the Police Lines area. A policeman was killed and five people including a woman were injured in an exchange of fire.

On June 7, two explosions hit two vehicles in Ziarat area which claimed five lives and injured 13. The first blast took place when a vehicle carrying members of the Bohra community was on its way to the Kharwari Baba shrine, located on the outskirts of Ziarat town, killing three members of a family instantly.

The second blast occurred in evening when a group of Shia Hazara people was returning to Quetta after spending the day in Ziarat valley. The explosion occurred as the van they were travelling in reached near the Kawas area, resulting in the death of two persons on the spot.

On Jan 29, three suicide bombers stormed the office compound of deputy inspector general of police, Zhob Range, in Loralai, some 300 kms from Quetta, and detonated themselves killing nine policemen and injuring 21.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2019