QUETTA– At least four police personnel were martyred and 12 others including civilians wounded in a blast near Masjid Al-Huda in Mini Market area of Satellite Town Block-2 on Monday night, police said.
The blast happened when a police van with personnel aboard reached the site for ensuring protection of the worshippers during the Taraweeh prayers.
The dead bodies and the injured were shifted the Civil Hospital Quetta where two of the injured were stated to be in serious condition.
The martyred policemen were identified as Muhammad Ishaq, Ghulam Nabi, Mushtaq Shah, and Zulfiqar.
The injured included police van driver Raheem Bakhsh, Saeed Irfan, Aqeel, Waris Ahmed, Muhammad Qasim, Haji Abdul Jabbar, Sabir Hussain, Ahmed Sayal, Mushtaq Shah, Qadir, Jameel, Muhammad Anwar and Nabeel.
The law enforcement agencies personnel reached the site and cordoned off the entire area. Investigation was underway to ascertain the nature of blast.
The blast has come a couple of days after three terrorists stormed a five-star hotel in Gwadar. The terrorists were killed by the security forces during the clearance operation.
During the operation, five people got martyred including four hotel employees and a Pakistan Navy soldier. Six individuals got injured including two Army captains, two Navy soldiers and two hotel employees, said the ISPR.
A series of terrorist acts have gripped Balochistan and Punjab during Moharramul Haram.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
