9 policemen martyred, 13 wounded in bomb attack on Balochistan Constabulary van in Bolan: police

At least nine personnel of the Balochistan Constabulary were martyred and 13 were wounded in a bomb attack in Bolan on Monday, police said.

Kachhi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mahmood Notezai confirmed the casualties to Dawn.com.

“The constabulary van was on its way back to Quetta from Sibi when an explosion occurred on the Kambri bridge in the area bordering the Sibi and Kachhi districts,” he said.

According to the official, a motorcyclist — believed to be a suicide bomber — rammed his vehicle into the police van. However, he said the exact nature of the attack would be ascertained after investigation.

SSP Notezai said the injured persons had been moved to the Sibi Civil Hospital, while bomb disposal squads and security personnel arrived at the site and cordoned it off.

Photos of the aftermath showed the police truck upside down on the road with its windows shattered.

Later, a government helicopter flew the injured officers to Quetta from Bolan, a statement issued by the Balochistan Information Department said.

An emergency was also imposed at hospitals across Quetta.

The Balochistan Constabulary is a department of the provincial police force that provides security at important events and in sensitive areas, including jails.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blast comes on the heels of attacks in KP and areas bordering Afghanistan. Since the talks with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November last year, the militant group has intensified its attacks while insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with it.

Condemnations

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo condemned the attack and expressed grief at the number of casualties.

He said terrorist elements wanted to accomplish their wicked aims through cowardly actions, adding that they were conspiring to keep Balochistan under-developed by creating unrest and instability in the province.

“All such conspiracies will be made unsuccessful with the public’s support,” the chief minister vowed in a statement.

Bizenjo conveyed his sympathies to the families of the martyred, asserting that they were national heroes. “The sacrifices of the martyred will not go to waste,” he promised.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident as well and paid tribute to the valour of the martyred policemen, APP quoted the premier’s press release as saying.

He said terrorism in Balochistan was part of a nefarious design to create instability in the country and promised to free the country from the menace of terrorism.

Also, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the attack.

He paid tribute to the martyrs and sought a report from the authorities concerned about the incident.