QUETTA: A suicide bomber targeted the emergency services
ward at Quetta’s Civil Hospital Monday, killing at least 63 people and
leaving scores injured.
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
splinter group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), has claimed responsibility for
the bombing which occurred at the gates of the building housing the
emergency ward.
The bomber struck soon after dozens of
lawyers gathered at the hospital following the killing of the
Balochistan Bar Association President, who was shot dead this morning.
“The
blast took place after a number of lawyers and some journalists had
gathered at the hospital following the death of the president of the
Balochistan Bar Association in a separate shooting incident this
morning," said Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Harifal.
What we know so far
- Loud explosion inside Quetta's Civil Hospital
- At least 63 people killed, many injured
- Attack may have been carried out by suicide bomber
- Blast followed killing of senior lawyer in Quetta
- CM Balochistan says RAW behind terrorism in Quetta
- Cameramen from DawnNews and Aaj TV were also killed in the explosion
The bomber struck as more than 100 mourners, mostly lawyers
and journalists, crowded into the emergency department to accompany the
body of Advocate Bilal Anwar Kasi, Faridullah, a journalist who
was among the wounded, told Reuters.
Condemning the
attack, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri told local TV channel
Geo News that Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW) was behind terror incidents in Quetta.
The CM
shared this statement with the media before initial investigations into
the blast were completed, and before the nature of the blast was
confirmed.
Abdul Rehman, the director at the Civil Hospital, said
the bombing killed 63 people, mostly lawyers. He said they were also
treating 92 wounded in the explosion.
According to senior
police official Zahoor Ahmed Afridi, most of the dead were lawyers.
Several lawyers including the former president of Balochistan Bar
Association Baz Mohammad Kakar were reported injured.
Journalists
present at the premises also came in the line of fire and a cameraman
for DawnNews, Mahmood Khan, who was severely injured in the explosion,
later passed away. Shehzad Khan, a cameraman associated with Aaj TV, was
killed in the blast.
An emergency was declared in hospitals across Quetta and several injured were shifted to other hospitals for treatment.
"This
was a security lapse," Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said,
adding that he was personally investigating the attack. He said the
hospital had not received any threats in the past.
Following the blast in Quetta, Inspector General (IG) police A.D. Khawaja issued a high security alert across Sindh.
Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast in Quetta and
expressed his “deep grief and anguish over the loss of precious human
lives” in the attack.
“No one will be allowed to disturb
the peace in the province that has been restored thanks to the
countless sacrifices by the security forces, police and the people of
Balochistan,” he said in a statement.
Lawyers targeted
Lawyers have been targeted several times in the last few months in Balochistan.
- A lawyer, Jahanzeb Alvi, was shot dead by unknown armed men in the Brewery road area of Quetta last week on Aug 3.
- Advocate Bilal Kasi, who himself was shot dead on the morning of Monday's blast, had strongly condemned the murder of Advocate Alvi and announced two days’ boycott of courts proceedings.
- The principal of University of Balochistan's law college, Barrister Amanullah Achakzai, was also shot dead by unknown assailants on Spini Road here in June.
Balochistan has been experiencing incidents of violence and
targeted killings for over a decade. More than 1,400 incidents targeting
the minority Shia and Hazara community have taken place in the province
during the past 15 years.
The largest province of the
country by area, is home to a low-level insurgency by ethnic Baloch
separatists. Al Qaeda-linked and sectarian militants also operate in the
region. The province shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
Facebook safety check
—Facebook
Social networking site Facebook activated its "safety check" feature after the blast in Quetta.
The
feature allows people to mark themselves or others 'safe' in any
incident or catastrophe, and let their loved ones know about their
state.
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