Pakistan: 3 killed, 7 injured in bus firing in Balochistan's Kalat

Balochistan [Pakistan], July 17 : At least three passengers were killed and seven others injured on Wednesday after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in Balochistan's Kalat district, Dawn reported.

The incident took place in the Nemargh area when a bus travelling from Karachi to Quetta was ambushed.

"Three passengers were martyred and seven were injured in the tragic incident," said Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind.

He added that the injured were being shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kalat, where an emergency has been declared.

However, rescue officials from the Edhi Foundation later said that the number of injured had reached 10, and many of them were shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta for treatment, as per Dawn.

Rind said that security forces, the district administration, and rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after the attack. "Security forces have surrounded the area, and a search operation is underway. The attackers are being pursued," he added.

Rind also said that Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had taken serious notice of the incident and ordered a detailed report from the police and other law enforcement agencies, as quoted by Geo News.

"Based on initial information, terrorists were sitting in ambush. They stopped the bus and attacked from both sides of the road. The exact number of attackers is yet to be confirmed," he said.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the firing and directed officials to provide the best medical treatment to the injured, Dawn reported.

"Targeting innocent civilians is an extremely cruel and condemnable act. Terrorists are enemies of humanity and peace. They want to sabotage the country's stability, but the state will act with full force to eliminate terrorism," Dawn quoted the President as saying.

In a separate incident, three women were injured in a roadside bomb blast in Quetta's Hazar Ganji area. Shalkot Police Station House Officer (SHO) Khair Muhammad Samalani told Dawn.com that the explosion was caused by a bomb planted on a motorcycle, which was detonated remotely near Murree Camp, according to Dawn.

"Police and security agencies immediately reached the spot and began collecting evidence," the SHO said. He added that the injured women were taken to the Civil Hospital Quetta and are reported to be out of danger.

Police and bomb disposal teams also launched a search operation in the area to check for any other potential threats. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for either attack.

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