QUETTA: Security forces raided a number of places in the city on Friday and detained 24 suspects in connection with Thursday’s suicide attack on JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, killing of eight members of the Hazara Shia community and a bomb attack on a Frontier Corps vehicle.

Most of the suspects were arrested during raids in the city’s outskirts, including Pashtoonabad, Killi Kamalo, Killi Qambrani, Killi Geo and Sariab.

SSP Quetta Aetezaz Guraya said police, FC and Anti-Terrorist Force personnel had conducted the raids and the suspects were being interrogated to extract information which could help trace the masterminds of the attacks.

Meanwhile, a case was registered at the city police station in connection with the suicide attack on Maulana Fazl. “A team of senior police officers has started an investigation into the attack,” police sources said.

SSP Guraya said that samples of parts of the bomber’s body had been sent to Lahore for DNA tests. “Without DNA test it is not possible to identify the bomber and determine his nationally,” he said, adding that the bomber’s head had not been found so far.

The bomb disposal squad collected evidences from the blast site.

Also read: Eight Hazaras gunned down in Quetta bus attack

The suicide jacket of the bomber contained about 8kg of explosives. He blew himself up near the bullet-proof vehicle carrying Maulana Fazl and other JUI-F leaders, including Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Ikram Durrani.

Two JUI-F workers were killed and about 30 people injured in the attack.

MEETING: Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch met Maulana Fazl on Friday. He said he thanked God that the attacker did not succeed in his evil design.

The chief minister said some elements were trying to create anarchy and turmoil in the country.

Maulana Fazl said the suicide bomber wanted to open the door of his vehicle but workers of his party pushed him back. Such attacks, he said, were aimed at keeping him away from people.

DEMONSTRATIONS: Workers and supporters of JUI-F held demonstrations in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan to condemn the suicide attack on Maulana Fazl and demanded immediate arrest of culprits.

Addressing a rally in Quetta, JUI-F’s central information secretary Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, provincial emir Maulvi Faiz Mohammad and provincial secretary Advocate Malik Sikandar Khan said their party would continue to struggle for the enforcement of Islamic laws in the country. They said attacks could not force the JUI-F chief to give up the struggle for the rights of people.

They also condemned the killing of eight people of the Hazara community.

The speakers criticised the provincial government and said it had failed to improve the security situation in the province. The incidents of target killing, kidnapping for ransom and dumping of mutilated bodies were on the rise, they regretted.

Published in Dawn, October 25th , 2014