ISLAMABAD: A bomb blast near a girls’ school in Mastung city of Balochistan claimed lives of seven people, including five schoolchildren, one police official, and a passerby on Friday morning.
According to the report, at least 22 people including schoolchildren and police personnel were also injured in the incident. All the injured people have been shifted to the hospital. As many 13 seriously wounded were shifted to Quetta.
Initial reports indicated the blast occurred at Hospital Chowk, close to the girls’ school..
As per the TV channel report, the terrorists hit the police mobile van with heavy explosives.
Mastung District Police Officer (DPO) Miandad Umrani told newsmen that the blast occurred near a police van at the Civil Hospital Chowk. According to the DPO, explosive material was placed in a motorcycle and was detonated via remote control.
The deceased children were aged between five and 10 years, DPO Umrani further said.
The DPO further said that a police van and several auto-rickshaws were damaged as a result of the bomb.
Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned the bomb blast at a girls’ high school in Mastung district, killing five children, a policeman and a passerby.
In their separately issued messages, they expressed grief over the death of children and a policeman and conveyed their condolence to the bereaved families, also praying for strength for them to bear the loss.
Both the acting president and prime minister reiterated the resolve for continuous action against terrorism till its elimination in toto.
“The terrorists are the enemies of humanity. The whole nation stands united to support the security forces and law enforcement agencies against terrorists,” Gilani said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz instructed the authorities concerned to apprehend the perpetrators of the blast and take them to task, besides directing the best possible medical treatment of the injured.
“The attack on a school is the manifestation of terrorists’ animosity to education in Balochistan. Such cowardly acts can neither undermine the nation’s morale nor that of Balochistan’s government to promote education and development. The whole nation feels proud of its policemen and soldiers for their sacrifices to safeguard the country,” the prime minister remarked.
