After the clashes, the Balochistan University and Agriculture College in Quetta and the Engineering University in Khuzdar and some other educational institutions were closed for three days.

Examinations of the Agriculture College, which were scheduled to commence on Monday, have been postponed till further orders.

The provincial government has deployed heavy contingents of Frontier Corps and police at the campuses.

About 60 students of the Agriculture College and Balochistan University have been detained. Both the groups attacked each other with sticks and bricks.

“Initially, a clash took place in the morning between members of the two groups in a bus of the Agriculture College,” a police officer told Dawn.

In the afternoon, the rival groups clashed at the Balochistan University.

Seventeen students injured in the clashes were taken to the Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical Complex Hospital. Another six students suffered injuries at the Lasbela Marine University. They were taken to a hospital in Karachi.

Security has been tightened around educational institutions in Quetta and other towns and FC and police personnel have been deployed at the Balochistan University.

Students of the two universities and Agriculture College have been asked to vacate hostels immediately.

The Baloch Students' Organisation-A and Pakhtunkhwa Students' Organisation have accused each other of attacking their members.

BSO-A spokesman Salam Sabir said nine Baloch students were injured at the Balochistan University and Agriculture College in Quetta.

PkSO's secretary Ahmed Jan said 30 Pakhtun students were injured at the Lasbela university, Balochistan University and Agriculture College. He said 21 students injured in Uthal had been taken to Karachi.

The BSO-A said police had arrested its 97 members while the PkSO said its six activists had been held.