Quetta terrorist attacks death toll rises to 25

QUETTA: At least 25 people were killed in terrorists attacks at a women's university bus and Bolan Medical Complex here on Saturday.

According to details, in the first attack at least 14 female students of the city’s only all women’s university were killed and 19 more were injured when a bomb planted on a varsity bus went off.

The blast struck when the students were boarding on the bus to go home.

As the victims were shifted to the Bolan Medical Complex, a second blast struck the emergency ward and several terrorists stormed the complex laying siege to it. Four FC personnel,the city’s deputy commissioner, and four nurses were lost lives in the attack.

The Medico Legal Officer of Bolan Medical Complex who was seriously wounded in the attack later succumbed to his injuries bringing the total death toll to 25.

It took four hours for security forces to bring the situation under control.

A third blast took place on the second floor of the complex as forces were trying to clear the complex of terrorists.

At the end of the operation at least four terrorists were killed, while a suspected terrorist was taken into custody.

Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, told reporters the forces freed dozens of people, who were held hostage inside the building.

"The standoff lasted for several hours and ended when security forces stormed the building, freeing 35 people who had been taken hostage, Chaudhry Nisar said.

"Four attackers were killed in the action, however, security forces succeeded in arresting one militant, he added.

Nisar hoped the agencies would be able to squeeze some strong leads out of the suspected held terrorist, which would help them hunt down other culprits.

Nisar did not have any information on the identity of the attackers.

Interior minister further said that the two attacks in Quetta were not related.

Prior to Nisar's press briefing outside parliament, the country’s Information Minister, Pervez Rasheed, spoke to the reporters.

The information minister told media the federal government would provide full support to the provincial government in these testing times.

"Balochistan is part of Pakistan and we will not leave our people alone in a time of tragedy. All National Security Agencies are assisting the provincial government", ," Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid told reporters in a news conference

He ruled out the involvement of a foreign hand in these attacks.

Earlier, in a pre-dawn attack, the Quaid-e-Azam Residency, a historic rest house in the hill station of the Ziarat, Balochistan, where Pakistan's founder spent some of his last days, was attacked and destroyed.

A policeman lost his life in the attack on a popular symbol of Pakistan's history, which was gutted by fire after several small bombs were detonated.

Presenting an initial investigation report in the National Assembly, Interior Minister Nisar said the militants had replaced Pakistan’s flag with that of the Balochistan Liberation Army at the Residency after the attack.