Four women killed in firing on bus in Quetta

QUETTA: At least four female passengers were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a bus on Kirani road in Quetta.

According to our correspondent, the driver sped the bus away as soon as the attacker opened fire. Two persons were also injured in the incident.

"The bus was going from Kirani Road to Hazara Town when gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on the vehicle," said Deputy Inspector-General Abdul Razzaq Cheema.

A large number of police and Frontier Corps personnel reached the location and cordoned off the area. The injured and bodies were shifted to the Bolan Medical Complex.

Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri has condemned the cowardly incident and ordered an inquiry into it.

"Terrorists trampled tribal traditions by targeting women in the attack," he said, hinting at the involvement of Indian covert agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

Balochistan - Pakistan's largest province in terms of land area - has been plagued by an insurgency and sectarian killings for several years now. However, security forces have conducted effective operations across the province cracking down on militants.

This has led to a considerable drop in militancy in the province but scattered attacks are still reported at times.

A major terrorist attack at the Civil Hospital Quetta in August had left over 70 people dead - majority of which were members of the legal fraternity. The incident drew an outpour of anger with renewed calls for action against militants.

Security forces have since then intensified intelligence-based and combing operations in the province in an effort to establish peace in the province.