Blast Injures 12 in Quetta Targeting Police Van Near Eastern Bypass

Twelve people were injured following a blast targeting a police van near Eastern Bypass in Quetta. Officials confirmed the police van was the intended target. Injured individuals were treated at Civil Hospital before being transferred to the Quetta Trauma Centre.

Twelve people sustained injuries following a blast that targeted a police van near Eastern Bypass in Quetta, according to hospital and government officials on Wednesday. Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that the police van was the intended target. The Balochistan Health Department released details of the 12 injured, Dawn reported. Rind condemned the attack and confirmed that a policeman was among those hurt.

An investigation has been initiated, with bomb disposal squads currently collecting evidence from the scene, according to the spokesperson. Balochistan Health Department's media coordinator, Dr. Waseem Baig, confirmed that the injured were initially treated at the Civil Hospital's emergency department before being transferred to the Quetta Trauma Centre for further medical care.

Earlier this month, two policemen were martyred and another was injured in a bomb blast targeting officials in Kuchlak town, Quetta, on September 14, reported Dawn. Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist activity, with 59 attacks recorded in August compared to 38 in July, according to data from the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS). In late August, militants from the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched multiple attacks across Balochistan, targeting security forces and civilians. At least 50 people, including 14 security personnel, were killed in the attacks. Security forces retaliated, killing 21 militants.

Among the dead were 23 laborers from Punjab, who were pulled from trucks and vans and shot after identification checks in Musakhail. In response to the surge in violence, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, pledged to continue the fight against terrorism until all militants are eradicated. "To fight for the cause of Pakistan, the security forces, along with law enforcement agencies, and the brave people of Pakistan -- especially the brave people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan -- have made unprecedented sacrifices," General Munir stated.

(With inputs from agencies.)