Suicide attack at Quetta IGP house kills seven, injures 68

QUETTA: The police chief of restive southwestern province of Balochistan narrowly escaped a suicide attack Sunday that killed at least seven people and wounded 68 others, officials said.

Inspector General Mushtaq Sukhera had just entered his residence in the provincial capital Quetta when a suicide bomber in a vehicle laden with explosives blew themselves up outside.

"At least two policemen, three paramilitary soldiers and one passer by were killed outside the inspector general's residence and 46 others were wounded," Home Secretary Akbar Durrani told AFP.

A huge amount of explosives were packed into the vehicle and the blast left a deep crater, with the explosion shattering nearby windows and sending debris flying, he said.

Senior police official Mobin Ahmed told media the police chief was safe, while another police official said the blast was so loud it was heard all over the city.

Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is plagued by slamist
militancy, attacks on the Shia Muslims and a separatist Baloch insurgency.

IGP Quetta says an investigation into the bombing has been launched.(AFP)