CHAMAN: At least five people were killed and 20 injured when an explosion rocked Mall Road neighbourhood in Chaman early Monday morning.
According to rescue sources, the injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital.
The blast, the police said, occurred near an under-construction facility. According to Inspector Muhammad Mohsin, unidentified miscreants had planted an improvised explosive device in a motorbike that was parked on the roadside. He said that the explosion targetted a vehicle of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).
Window panes of several shops and houses in the vicinity were shattered due to the impact of the explosion.
In a statement shared on the Twitter account of the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the incident and expressed grief for the lives lost.
Chaman is considered a sensitive town in Balochistan as it shares a border with Afghanistan’s volatile Kandahar province. In the last six months, the province has witnessed a surge in militants attacks primarily on security forces and government officials.
Last month at least one person was killed, while seven were injured in an explosion in a bazaar in Turbat that was also caused by an IED planted in a motorbike.
Meanwhile, Minister for Interior Ijaz Ahmed Shah on Monday strongly condemned the Chaman blast and expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious human life in the incident. In a statement, he said, the elements involved in such incidents were enemies of the country and deserved exemplary punishment. The minister prayed for early recovery of the injured. He said terrorists would never be allowed to succeed in their nefarious designs. The minister expressed his heartfelt sympathies and condolences with the bereaved family. Also, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday strongly condemned the terrorist incident in Chaman, saying enemy once again had attempted to disrupt the law and order of Balochistan.–Agencies
