Karachi: A suicide bomber of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan blew himself up in the country’s restive Balochistan province on Sunday, killing at least three security personnel and injuring 20 people, according to officials.
The attack targeted a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpost on the Mastung road in Quetta, the provincial capital, Deputy Inspector General of Quetta police Azhar Akram said.
The three personnel who were killed in the blast and majority of the injured belong to the FC, which is in forefront of the efforts to tackle militancy in the province, Akram told reporters.
Eighteen of the injured were security officials while two were bystanders, the officer said, adding that the number of casualties could rise.
According to the Counter-Terrorism Department of Balochistan, the blast was a “suicide attack” and was carried out near the Sona Khan checkpost.
The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, sending a grim signal that the change of government in Kabul might not end the woes of Pakistan as the country looks towards the Taliban to rein in the TTP rebels who are hiding in Afghanistan.