25 including Col, DIG FC wife killed in suicide attacks in Quetta

By jazbablog - Wed Sep 07, 6:18 pm

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QUETTA: At least 25 people including Colonel of Frontier Constabulary, wife of DIG FC, children and FC personnel were killed and 55 others including DIG FC injured in two powerful explosions near Commissioner Office in the city on Wednesday morning.

Most of the injured are said to be critical and there are fears that the death toll could rise.

One attacker detonated his bomb-laden car outside the residence of the DIG Frontier Corps Farrukh Shahzad in Civil Line area of Quetta city, before a second attacker blew himself up inside the house.

According to sources, firing was exchanged between the second bomber and the FC men before he entered the house and blew himself up

It is important to note that Civil Lines is a red zone area due to the presence of governor house, chief minister and DIG FC house while treasury office is also located in the area

Sixteen people were instantly killed and 32 were wounded, police said.

“It was a twin suicide attack. The house was badly damaged… some members of the family were severely injured. The deputy inspector general himself is injured,” police said.

Four members of the Frontier Corps were among the dead which include Rashid, Imtiaz Haider, Mohammad Yasin, Mohammad Imran and Balochistan Constabulary Rajab Khan, Shafi Mohammad passerby Wazir Ahmed, Hafizullah and others including FC Colonel Khalid and the wife of the DIG FC and two children were also killed.

While DIG FC Farrukh Shahzad, FC Spokesman Murtaza Baig, FC men Naik Pervez, Driver Naik Ijaz, Saphoi Hayat, Tayyab Raza, Waseem Khalid and several passerby’s were injured

The injured were taken to Military Combined Hospital and Civil Hospital where 20 of the injured are said to be precarious

According to police, relief and rescue teams including fire brigade vehicles arrived as soon as the blast report was received. The bodies and the injured were shifted to nearby hospital.

The blast was so powerful that it was heard far and wide and smashed windowpanes of nearby buildings. The explosion was so intense that a mosque demolished as a result.

Security personnel put security cordon around the blast area.

Police has recovered heads of two suicide bombers. One of them was identified as Ahmed Gul son of Gul Muhammad belongs to Qandooz city of Afghanistan while the head of second bomber could not be found. Police has taken the parts of the dead body as evidence.

According to Bomb Disposal Squad the bombers had packed 60 to 70 kg explosives in the vehicles and the suicide jackets contained 10 to 15 kg explosive materials

Meanwhile President Asif Ali Zardari , Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Speaker National Assembly, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, Asfand Yar Wali, Imran Khan, MQM leader Altaf Hussain have condemned the attack.

President and PM in their condemnation statement said that elements involved in the incident are anti-state elements and they deserve no compensation. They said that efforts to curb terrorism from the country would continue and we not be cowed down by such acts

Chief Minister Balochistan Aslam Raisiani condemning the attack has ordered an investigation into the tragic incident. While Interior Minister Rehman Malik has also condemned the incident and has sought a report.

According to analysts, the twin blasts could be the back lash of arrest a senior Al-Qaeda leader from Quetta a few days back as DIG FC Farrukh Shahzad along with his team took part in an operation on Monday to arrest senior Al-Qaeda leader Younis al-Mauritani believed to have been responsible for planning attacks on the United States, Europe and Australia.

Younis al-Mauritani was picked up in the suburbs of Quetta along with two other high-ranking operatives after US and Pakistani spy agencies joined forces, according to the Pakistan army.