QUETTA: A locally manufactured explosive device exploded close to the Civil Secretariat and Commissioner Office on Quetta’s Zarghoon Road, injuring at least nine people, including a traffic policeman and four children, according to police and government authorities on Wednesday.
According to the senior superintendent of operations, the explosion happened in a trash dump beneath a bridge on Zarghoon Road. He continued by saying that more inquiries into the explosion are being conducted.
The four kids hurt in the explosion were ragpickers, the SSP revealed.
In a post on X, Quetta Division Commissioner Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat encouraged people to stay off Zarghoon Road for the next few hours.
Even after making unmatched sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, Pakistan has seen an increase in terror incidents in 2023, and banned organizations are still operating there.
Throughout the year, militant assaults have claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians and members of the military services; August proved to be the deadliest month, with 99 strikes and 112 fatalities.
The top brass of the armed forces also voiced concerns at the most recent Corps Commander Conference regarding the terrorists’ access to the newest weapons and their ability to operate freely in a neighboring country as members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other similar groups.