QUETTA, May 6: An election convoy of National Party chief Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and other leaders of the party returning to Turbat after attending meetings in nearby villages, was attacked by grenades on Monday. The leaders and workers remained safe, but two passersby were injured and two vehicles were damaged.

Sources said that Dr Malik, Dr Yasin Baloch and other leaders had been targeted by suspected insurgents.

“Dr Malik, Dr Yasin and other leaders were safe,” Tahir Bizenjo, NP’s Secretary General, told Dawn.

He condemned the attack and said that such attacks and other difficulties would not deter his party from its resolve to fully participate in the elections. An office of National Party was attacked in Mach, leaving four people injured.

A week ago, the residence of Dr Malik in Turbat was attacked when he was presiding over an election meeting.

In another incident, insurgents blew up four government schools and a rural health centre in Mastung and Barkhan districts.

The schools and the health centre have been designated as polling stations by the Election Commission.

Reports reaching here from Kharan said that the guest house of PML-N National Assembly candidate retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch also came under attack which injured two nephews of Mr Baloch and 11 other people.

In Panjgur, the house of NA candidate Jahanzaib Baloch was damaged when it was hit by a rocket.

About the attacks in Mastung and Barkhan, police said that bombs planted in two primary schools for girls and a rural health centre in Nehar Goth had been detonated with remote control.

“The powerful blasts destroyed the buildings of both the schools and the rural health centre,” the source said.

Another government high school was destroyed in Splingi area of Mastung district. Levies’ officials said that insurgents had planted a bomb in the school building and detonated at night.

A spokesman for the outlawed Baloch Republican Army, Salman Baloch, in a late-night telephone call claimed responsibility for the attack.

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