麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Suicide bombing in southwestern Pakistan kills 10 police officers

At the site of a suicide bombing, in Sibi, a district in the Pakistan's Baluchistan province, on March 6, 2023. (Saeed-ud-Din / AP) At the site of a suicide bombing, in Sibi, a district in the Pakistan's Baluchistan province, on March 6, 2023. (Saeed-ud-Din / AP)
Share
QUETTA, Pakistan -

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle Monday rammed a police truck in Pakistan's restive southwest, killing 10 police officers and wounding 12 in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent months, authorities said.

The newly formed Tehreek-e-Jihad militant group hours later in a statement claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place on a bridge in the Sibi district of Baluchistan province.

Small Baluchistan-based separatist groups and local militants have been blamed for previous such attacks.

Late on Monday night, the Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for the attack. It said in a statement released by the group's Amaq news agency that IS militant Abdul Rahman al-Pakistani was driving a bomb-laden motorcycle that he ignited, killing or wounding 24 police.

Mahmood Notenzai, a local police chief, said the officers were on a routine patrol when the attack happened, initially killing nine. The casualties were taken to a nearby hospital, where one of the critically wounded policemen later died, he added. Sibi is about 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of Quetta, the provincial capital.

The force of the blast overturned the truck, which caused additional injuries, he said. Trucks often transport troops in Pakistan.

Notenzai said the officers who came under attack were deployed last week to Sibi, where an annual cultural festival was held amid tight security. An army helicopter was sent to evacuate the seriously wounded to a hospital in Quetta, where better health facilities are available.

Last year, a suicide bomber from the extremist Islamic State group targeted President Arif Alvi 's security convoy when he attended the Sibi festival. Alvi was far away from the site of the bombing, which killed five troops. IS militants later claimed responsibility for that attack.

The festival has been celebrated for several centuries to mark the advent of summer.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack. In a statement, he expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and ordered health officials to provide the best medical care for the wounded policemen. He said the attack was part of nefarious enemy plans to destabilize Pakistan and vowed to defeat terrorism.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack and extended "heartfelt condolences" to the families of the victims and wished a prompt recovery to the injured, his spokesman said.

Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, the top elected official in Baluchistan, also denounced the bombing.

"The terrorists who are carrying out such attacks are the enemy of Pakistan," he said, adding that they will not shake the resolve of the country's police.

Baluchistan has long struggled with a low-level insurgency by the Baluchistan Liberation Army and other small separatist groups demanding independence from the central government in Islamabad.

Authorities claim to have quelled the insurgency but violence has persisted. The province has also seen attacks by militants from both the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State group.

------

Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.