Balochistan, June 23, 2017: A suicide bomber blew up his explosives near IG of Police Ehsan Mehboob's office on Gulistan Road, Quetta on Friday, June 23. The attack has claimed 13 lives out of which 6 were policemen.
The police spokesperson stated that the blasts were powerful enough to be heard around the city and break nearby buildings' glasses. An estimated 75 kilograms of explosives were strapped on the car.
The provincial government's spokesperson, Anwarul Haq Kakar, blamed India for the blasts. However, ISIS' local affiliate and Tehrik-e-Taliban's splinter group Jamaat-ut-Ahrar have claimed responsibility dismissing the false accusations made by Kakar.
PM Nawaz Sharif has condemned the attacks and stated that those behind this terrorism will be punished.
Balochistan remains a contentious region between the separatists and the nationalists, in addition to being plagued by militant violence through numerous extremist groups. The presence of ISIS-affiliated groups is also an issue.
The growing insurgency problem created by extreme nationalists has claimed many civilians' lives in the past. The 2017 Hindus Human Rights Report published by HAF has highlighted this increasing violence and its impact on minority groups.
– by Saksham Narula of NewsGram. Twitter: @Saksham2394