A suicide bomber on a motorcycle has targeted a military truck with a bomb killing eight soldiers and seven civilians in the south-western city of Quetta, Pakistani officials have said.
Kabeer Khan, an explosives expert who examined the site, said after collecting forensic evidence that it was a suicide attack and that the attacker had been carrying 25kg of “incendiary explosives” on a motorcycle that he had rammed into the military truck.
A military statement said the bomb also wounded 25 people, including 15 civilians. It said the explosives sparked fires in nearby vehicles. It added that all the victims were taken to a military hospital.
The Pakistani army chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, condemned the attack. He said in a statement that it was an attempt to mar the independence day festivities. “Our resolve won’t succumb to any challenge,” Bajwa said.
Sarfraz Bugti, the home minister for Balochistan, said the attack had happened near a private hospital. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by Baloch separatist groups who want a greater share of the province’s mineral and gas resources. Militant groups operating in the province have previously claimed responsibility for attacks on security forces.