A powerful blast rocked Quetta killing at least 15 people and injuring nearly same. Dead and injured includes women and children as well. According to available resources a powerful blast hit a busy on Kirani road where large number of people were busy in shopping. Blast was followed by intense firing in adjacent areas. Spirals of the thick smoke were also witnessed in the area. Larger number of vehicles and nearby buildings were also damaged in the blast. Dead and injured were rushed to Bolan Medical Complex and Civil Hospital.
Infuriated people of the area took to the streets and pelted stones on vehicles, burnt tires and blocked roads. Some of the vehicles were torched by angry mob as well. Quetta is experiencing worst kind of terrorism in recent years. On most of the occasions it is done in disguise of sectarian violence. Prime target of the terrorism is Hazara tribe which practices Shia Islam. Hazaras are facing a systematic genocide over past few years. One of the deadliest attack on the community came on January 10, 2013 when a suicide bomber detonated himself in a snooker club in Hazara area. Suicide blast was followed by an ambulance blast which resulted in killing nearly 100 people.
Enraged Hazaras took to the streets peacefully and refused to bury their martyrs. Their men, women and children remained on streets in freezing temperature unless noticed by Federal Government. Provincial Government which was least interested in the matters was sacked and Governor’s rule was imposed in the province.
It is yet to ascertain the nature of the blast and identities of the victims. Keeping in mind the previous track of terrorist attacks it can be said that most probable people of Shia belief are once again the targets