A powerful bomb targeting an anti-drug force ripped through a market in a restive Pakistani town bordering Afghanistan, killing six people, including a paramilitary soldier, and injuring 22 others. The blast occurred on Monday evening at the Haji Nida market of Chaman town in the volatile Balochistan province, according to police.
"Six to seven kilogram of explosives were planted in a motorcycle parked on the roadside and set off by a remote control device," a police official said.
At least six people, including a Frontier Corps soldier, were killed and 22 others injured in the blast, the official said. The wounded have been shifted to the Civil Hospital. Ten of the injured were in critical condition, he said.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
"It appears to be an act of terrorism and is aimed at creating panic and fear in Chaman," the official said.
According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, the explosion targetted a vehicle of the Anti-Narcotics Force. Window panes of several shops and houses in the vicinity were shattered due to the impact of the explosion.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a statement posted on the PM Office's Twitter account, condemned the incident and expressed grief for the lives lost.
Meanwhile, in another incident in Hub town in Balochistan province on Monday, an explosion at a gas station left eight people including, four FC soldiers, injured.
Militants and separatists belonging to the banned outfits have stepped up terror attacks in Balochistan in recent weeks. At least one person was killed and six others were injured after an explosion in Turbat bazaar on July 21.
Earlier in May, seven soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer, were killed in a bomb blast and an exchange of fire with militants. In April, two Pakistan Army soldiers were killed and two others injured in a bomb blast that took place in Toba Achakzai area of Qila Abdullah, a district bordering Afghanistan.
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