TIL Desk/World/Islamabad/ At least 20 people were killed and 48 others injured in a blast that targeted members of the ethnic Hazara community at a market in Pakistan’s Quetta city on Friday, police said.
Deputy Inspector General Abdul Razzaq Cheema told that eight of the victims belonged to the community that has been targeted by sectarian violence as they are easily identifiable due to their distinctive physical appearance.
“The attack took place in a (greengrocer’s) shop (in Hazarganji area). An improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in a gunny sack filled with potatoes. We are yet to ascertain if it was timed or remote-controlled. An investigation is on,” Cheema said.
The victims also included a Frontier Corps soldier. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast. Nearly half a million Hazaras have settled in Quetta since fleeing Afghanistan to escape violence in their homeland during the past four decades. The city’s Hazarganji area has been witness to similar attacks in the past.
