At least 10 bomb and grenade attacks shook various areas of Balochistan on Thursday, confirmed a provincial government official. The assaults targeted several police stations and deputy commissioners’ offices, resulting in one fatality and injuries to six individuals, including a police officer and a jail warden.
The senior official informed Dawn that the attacks occurred across Balochistan, including the provincial capital Quetta. In one incident, a bomb planted along a footpath on the CPEC road in Quetta’s Spinny area detonated, claiming the life of a passerby, identified as 84-year-old Abdul Khaliq Shah. Quetta SSP (operations) Jawad Tariq disclosed that approximately 8kg of explosives were used in the improvised explosive device.
Another attack near Quetta’s outskirts left Assistant Sub-Inspector Ghulam Raza wounded when unknown assailants hurled a hand grenade at the Shalkot police station. The explosion damaged the station’s building and vehicles in the parking area. Meanwhile, in Mastung, hand grenades were lobbed at the central prison, causing structural damage and injuring a jail warder.
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The assaults extended to various political party offices and government installations across Quetta, Khuzdar, and Turbat, targeting locations associated with the PML-N, National Party, BNP-M, and JUI-F. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties in these incidents.
Following the attacks, the Balochistan government heightened security measures across the province. The Election Commission of Pakistan took note of the situation and requested detailed reports from the Balochistan inspector general of police and chief secretary.
Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri condemned the terrorist attacks, expressing solidarity with the victims and praising the efforts of security forces in thwarting major incidents. She attributed the recent wave of terrorism to a coordinated plan by enemies and emphasized national unity in combating such acts.