QUETTA: One person was killed, and 20 others injured, including two officials of Balochistan police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), in two explosions that took place in the coal field area of Duki district in northern Balochistan on Thursday.

Officials said that the explosions, in which improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were used, took place with an interval when people and police officials gathered at the site of the first blast.

In the first blast, a truck loaded with coal was targeted while carrying coal to Punjab.

“An IED exploded close to the truck, injuring three people,” officials said, adding that the truck was damaged.

The second blast took place at the site of the first explosion when security personnel reached after the blast, resulting in the killing of one person and injuring 15 more people.

“In the twin explosions, one person lost his life on the spot, while 20 others were injured,” a senior police officer Jalil Marri told Dawn, adding that the injured include two CTD officials who went to the site for investigation.

A heavy contingent of police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and shifted the body and injured to district hospitals in Duki and Loralai.

The provincial health secretary, Abdullah Khan Nourzai, imposed an emergency in the civil hospitals of Quetta and Loralai after the blast.

Later, the seriously injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital in Quetta.

Initial investigations revealed that both blasts were conducted with remote controls.

The young boy who lost his life in the blast was identified as 15-year-old Jahangir Nasar.

The injured officials of CTD were identified as sub-inspector Mohammad Rahim and Shafa Mohammad.

Other injured individuals include Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Qasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Moha­mmad Asif, Naik Dad, Murad Mohammad Kamran, Nasee­b­ullah, Abdul Wadood, Mohammad Tariq, Hakim­ullah, Shah Wali, Roozudin, Najeebullah, Asmatullah and Muhammad Sadiq.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove, provincial ministers Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Mir Ali Madad Jattak, and senior central vice president of PML-N Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar, strongly condemned the IED explosions in Duki, stating that those responsible would be brought to justice soon.

Two police officers injured

In a separate incident, a deputy superintendent of police and another officer were injured in an armed attack on their vehicle in the Pishin district late on Thursday night.

Officials said that DSP Ainuddin Kakar and Station House Officer Rozi Khan Kakar of Pishin police station were targeted by unknown armed men in Killi Tarkha, a locality on the outskirts of Pishin town while they were on patrol in the area.

“Armed men opened fire on their vehicle, resulting in serious injuries,” a senior police officer said, adding that police immediately rushed to the site and shifted the injured police officers to Pishin hospital.

However, they were later shifted to the trauma centre at the Civil Hospital Quetta. Rozi Khan’s condition is stated to be serious.

Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the terrorists.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2024