At least seven policemen were martyred and over 22 people injured in a bombing in Quetta on Wednesday morning.
According to the police, a truck of the Elite Force was targeted in the New Sariab area of the city while it was transporting personnel for duties.
The nature of the blast is yet to be ascertained as the bomb disposal squad is on site gathering evidence.
Sources said officials suspect the incident could be a suicide bombing.
Hospital officials said seven bodies and 22 injured have been brought to the Civil Hospital and CMH. Five of the injured are said to be in critical condition.
Sources said the truck was carrying around 30 policemen to duty.
The area where the attack occurred is unpopulated and situated on the outskirts of the city. Sources said several passersby shifted the injured to the hospital as well owing to its distance from the city centre.
Quetta DIG Razzaq Cheema told there were general threats regarding an incident of terrorism in the city.
Security forces, including the Frontier Corps, and emergency teams reached the site following the incident. The rescue operation has been completed while forensic and bomb disposal teams are conducting their investigation at the moment.
Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti
Speaking to the media, Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the attack seems vehicle-borne, but added that investigations are being conducted to determine the exact nature of the blast.
Bugti said an emergency has been declared in all the hospitals of the city.
"The people and government of Balochistan will not be deterred from the fight against terrorism," he said, adding the fight will continue till the last terrorist remains.
The minister said the facilitator of this attack, like others before, will be traced and brought to book.
Bugti said a diversion has been created to accommodate traffic on the by-pass as the site of today's incident will remain closed until tomorrow since a forensic team from Lahore is en route to help in the investigation.
Answering a question, he said fighting an enemy who has already decided to die is not easy but they [security forces] are still fighting them.
Frequent target
Last week, a policeman was martyred and three others, including two policemen and a child, were injured when a police vehicle was targetted in Quetta.
In August this year, a massive suicide explosion, targeting Pakistan Army personnel in Quetta, left 15 people dead – including seven civilians – and injured at least 20 people.
The blast, which reportedly took place in a vehicle, occurred at the Pishin bus stop, causing cars in the surroundings to catch fire soon after.
In June this year, fourteen people, including seven policemen, were killed and 21 injured in a suicide car bombing near the office of the inspector general of police Balochistan on Gulistan Road.
