Islamabad, Feb 26 (IANS) At least four people were killed and 14 wounded in an explosion inside the Rakhni market in Barkhan in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Sunday morning, police and health officials said, local media reported.
Barkhan District Health Officer Dr Abdul Hameed confirmed the death toll adding that the injured persons were rushed to the Rakhni Hospital, Dawn reported.
According to Barkhan Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Khoso, the blast occurred when an improvised explosive device (IED), planted on a motorcycle, exploded, Dawn reported.
Khoso said the police have arrived at the site and cordoned it off. “Teams have begun collecting evidence from the site,” he added.
Unverified videos making the rounds on social media show volunteers carrying bloodied victims away as a crowd gathers at the purported site of the blast. Mangled motorcycles and charred vegetables can be seen strewn about on the road, Dawn reported.
There was no claim of responsibility as yet.
The blast comes on the heels of attacks in KP and areas bordering Afghanistan. Since the talks with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November last year, the militant group has intensified its attacks while insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with it, Dawn reported.
President Arif Alvi also condemned it and stressed on the need to “speed up efforts for the complete elimination of terrorists”.
“Terrorists are the enemy of peace in Balochistan and progress,” he was quoted as saying. “Terrorists will never be successful in their nefarious plans.”
–IANS
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