At least 25 people were killed and over 30 others injured in Quetta on Monday morning after a powerful explosion struck the Civil Hospital in the capital of Balochistan province.
Advertisement
Television news channel Geo reported that at least 15 people were killed, and more than 20 wounded. According to medical staff, up to 60 of those killed were lawyers who were there to mourn the death of the president of the Baluchistan Bar Association, Bilal Anwar Kasi, who had been assassinated earlier on Monday by gunmen while on his way to court.
But hours later a Taliban faction also claimed responsibility, saying the attack was to avenge an ongoing offensive by Pakistan’s military against Islamist militants. Former president of Balochistan Bar Association, Baz Muhammad Kakar was laid to rest in his hometown, Muslim Bagh. They feared that the death toll would rise further, given the vast crowd of people seriously wounded in the attack. Almost 100 lawyers and others had gathered at the hospital at the time to express grief over the death of their colleague, Afridi added.
A bomb disposal squad said the blast was carried out by a suicide bomber who was carrying an estimated eight to 10 kg of explosive materials in his vest.
He had strongly condemned the recent murders – including those of fellow lawyers – in Quetta in recent weeks, and had announced a two-day boycott of court sessions in protest at the killing of a colleague last week.
The attack took place in the country’s western Baluchistan province, which shares a border with Afghanistan and has been plagued by terrorist violence in the past. TV news cameramen Shahzad Khan and Mehmood Khan were also among the dead. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar also claimed responsibility for the bombing.Quetta has always been regarded as a base for the Afghan Taliban, whose leadership has regularly held meetings there in the past.In May, Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone strike while travelling to Quetta from the Pakistan-Iran border.
“No one will be allowed to disrupt the peace of the province”, Sharif said.
Later Monday, the prime minister traveled to Quetta to meet the wounded and assess the situation.
“It seems it was a pre-planned attack”, he said.
Advertisement
Army Chief General Raheel Sharif visited the Civil Hospital and inquired about condition of the persons under treatment there. A loud explosion was heard as lawyers and journalists had gathered at the emergency department where Kasi’s body was brought for autopsy.
