A policeman was killed and seventeen others wounded in an explosion near the University Of Balochistan on the Sariab Road on Monday, officials confirmed.
The explosive material was planted on a motorcycle that was parked near the university. The apparent target of the blast were the police personnel stationed at the site.
According to the reports, the law enforcement agencies were summoned to the area immediately after the attack. The site of the blast was cordoned off and traffic suspended.
Balochistan Government Spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani confirmed the news in a post on social media. Initially, he said that a police truck parked near the university gate was the main target of the attack, which had killed one policeman on the spot and wounded 11 others, including four passersby. In a later tweet, Shahwani said that 17 people had been injured in the attack.
Balochistan Home Minister Zia Langove said that the policemen targeted in the attack were providing security to the students protesting outside the gates of the university. “The attackers wanted to target the students, but police officials were targeted due to tight security arrangements in place,” he said, adding that the assailants wanted to spread chaos by targeting the students.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed also condemned the attack and said that he had asked the IGP Balochistan for a report on the incident. He offered his condolences to the families of the slain and wounded policemen and said that: “We will not let the terrorists destroy the peace of Balochistan. The federal government will provide all the resources and support to the provincial government”.