Quetta suicidal car bomb attack: Martyrdom toll rose to three, 31 injured

At least three Shia pilgrims embraced martyrdom and 25 pilgrims were injured while their bus was on way back from Iran to Pakistan’s Quetta City on Wednesday evening.

Shiite News Correspondent in its second report on the unfortunate incident said that three pilgrims of 8th infallible Imam Raza (AS) were martyred and 31 others, including six policemen, were injured.

The CCPO Quetta City Abdul Razzaq Cheema said that the death toll could go up since many of the injured were in critical condition.

The martyr pilgrims hailed from Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa province’s Dera Ismail Khan and Punjab province’s Bhakkar district. Both neighbouring districts are situated on the inter-provincial borders of the said provinces.

Pakistani Shia Muslims go to Iran on pilgrimage via Taftan border situated in Baluchistan province.

The injured victims were identified as Syed Jafar Abbas, M. Ramzan, S. Hussain, M Shoaib, Naila Batool, Lalo Bibi, Nasreen, Nayab, Asma, Kulsoom, Hafeeza Bibi, Kausar, Manzoor Hussain, Nazeer Bibi, Ghulam Ali, Azizullah, Naseem Bibi, Alami Bibi, Malaika, Ghulam Sakina, Kaneez Bibi, Haseena Bibi, Shameem Bibi, Ghulam Abbas, Fizza and another woman namely Hafeeza Bibi.

Anti Terrorist Force (ATF)’s Irfan Ali, Anwar Ali, M Mehdi, Abdul Waheed, Javed and Abdul Sattar were also among injured.

The latest attack also comes close to the anniversary of the massive blast which targeted the Hazara community in Quetta. Nearly 200 people were killed in two huge bomb attacks which took place on January 11 and February 16 last year.

Banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for such attacks on Shia pilgrims in Balochistan in the past.

According to CCPO Cheema, the police and Anti-Terrorism Force personnel were escorting the bus when it was attacked. “Two police mobiles were driving ahead of the bus while two more trailed behind.” One of the police vehicles was completely destroyed in the attack, he said.

Talking to reporters, Deputy Inspector General Investigation Mubin Zaidi said the police vehicles in escort were installed with jammers as a measure to prevent an attack.

“We are looking into how the attackers managed to succeed despite the security measure,” he said.