IED blast kills three in Balochistan’s Hoshab area

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Three people travelling in a car were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted on roadside exploded in Hoshab area of Kech district in Balochistan on Sunday, officials said.

Commissioner Mekran Division Saeed Ahmed Umrani confirmed that unidentified terrorists targeted a car using an improvised explosive device (IED) in Hoshab tehsil of district Kech, adding all three persons travelling in the car were killed on the spot.

Levies and personnel of other law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot and launched investigation into the incident. The deceased were promptly transported to a nearby hospital.

A huge contingent of officials also later arrived at the scene to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

Kech Deputy Commissioner Hussain Jan Baloch informed the media that the incident took place near the Balgatar area, adding that it had claimed the lives of three people.

He said Levies personnel reached the site of the incident and shifted the bodies to Turbat Hospital.

The DC added that investigations were under way to ascertain whether the explosion was caused by a mine planted in the ground or by an improvised explosive device planted by the roadside.

The force of the explosion was so intense that it caused substantial damage to the targeted vehicle, underscoring the severity of the attack. Commissioner Umrani further said that all three victims hailed from the Balgitar area of district Kech.

As Balochistan grapples with the surge in terrorism, the Caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai last month expressed his unwavering determination of going all-out against terrorists and waging a war against those involved in sabotaging the peace of the province.

The minister lauded the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Syed Asim Munir’s dedication to the fight against terror and emphasised the joint efforts of provincial and federal governments in countering extremism and terrorism.

On Oct 31, a policeman and four labourers were killed and two others were injured in an attack on a police station in Turbat.

Unidentified gunmen had also fatally shot six labourers in Turbat on Oct 14. Earlier the same month, the project manager of the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) was killed in an IED blast targeting his vehicle in Quetta. (PT)