UPDATES WITH TTP CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTACK, ADDS CONDEMNATION BY PRIME MINISTER, MINOR EDITS
By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least three paramilitary troops were killed and nearly two dozen others injured in a suspected suicide attack in Pakistan’s southwestern Quetta city on Sunday morning, police said.
The suspected bomber targeted a security checkpoint at the Quetta-Mastung road, when the personnel were engaged in routine security checking, a police spokesman said in a statement.
He did not elaborate on further details.
However, quoting witnesses, local broadcaster Geo News reported that the suspected bomber rammed his explosive-laden motorbike into a security vehicle parked near the checkpoint.
Azhar Akram, Quetta police chief, told reporters that the death toll may rise as several injured are stated to be in critical condition.
Footage aired on Geo News showed security personnel cordoning off the blast site, and rescue workers shifting the bodies and injured to the hospital. A vehicle in flames could also be seen in the footage.
In a statement to journalists, Muhammad Khurasani, spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a consortium of several militant outfits in Pakistan, said the group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack and extended condolences to the families of the troops who lost their lives and wished recovery to the injured.
"Salute our security forces & their sacrifices to keep us safe by thwarting foreign-backed terrorists' designs," Khan wrote on Twitter.
Late last month, an army captain was killed and two soldiers were injured in a roadside explosion in the remote Gichki area of the province.