QUETTA: Seven people, including three leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Nazar­yati), were killed and 14 others injured in a bomb attack in the border town of Chaman, Qila Abdullah district, on Friday.

JUI-N’s naib emir Maulana Abdul Qadir Luni, who according to officials was the target of the attackers, suffered injuries in the bombing.

Officials said the blast occurred at Boghara Chowk soon after a rally staged by the JUI-N to condemn Israeli aggression and genocide of the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza had concluded.

Official sources said that unidentified people had rigged the motorbike with explosive material and parked it near the venue of the rally and detonated it when Maulana Luni, accompanied by supporters, was leaving the place.

“It seems the target of the blast was Maulana Luni as the IED planted in the motorcycle was detonated with remote control soon after he left the rally venue,” a senior police official said.

“Maulana Luni survived with minor injuries and was immediately taken to hospital under heavy security,” Deputy Commissioner Tariq Javed Mengal told Dawn, adding that four people were killed on the spot and 17 others injured in the blast that rocked the small town.

Police and personnel of other security forces rushed to the site and shifted the injured to the district hospital Chaman where two of the injured died. Four of the injured were later shifted to the trauma centre of Civil Hospital Quetta.

Chaman hospital medical superintendent Dr Himyatullah said another injured died before reaching Quetta.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2021