Categories: World

Suicide bomber in Pakistan kills 10 policemen, injures 12 others

close Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for March 5

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.

A suicide bomber riding on a motorcycle rammed into a police truck in Pakistan’s restive southwest, killing at least 10 policemen and wounding 12 officers in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent months, authorities said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which took place on a bridge in the district of Sibi in Baluchistan province, but Baluch separatists and local militants have been blamed for previous such attacks.

Mahmood Notenzai, a local police chief, said the officers were on a routine patrol when the attack happened, initially killing nine. The casualties were taken to a nearby hospital, where one of the critically wounded policemen later died, he added. Sibi is about 190 miles east of Quetta, the provincial capital.

PAKISTANI POLICE ARREST RETIRED ARMY GENERAL ON CHARGES OF INCITING THE PUBLIC AGAINST NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The force of the blast overturned the truck, which caused additional injuries, he said. Trucks often transport troops in Pakistan.

Notenzai said the officers who came under attack were deployed last week to Sibi, where an annual cultural festival was held amid tight security. An army helicopter was sent to evacuate the seriously wounded to a hospital in Quetta, where better health facilities are available.

Last year, a suicide bomber from the extremist Islamic State group targeted President Arif Alvi ‘s security convoy when he attended the Sibi festival. Alvi was far away from the site of the bombing, which killed five troops. IS militants later claimed responsibility for that attack.

A paramilitary soldier and volunteers gather at the site of a suicide bombing in Sibi, Pakistan, on March 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Saeed-ud-Din)

The festival has been celebrated for several centuries to mark the advent of summer.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack. In a statement, he expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and ordered health officials to provide the best medical care for the wounded policemen. He said the attack was part of nefarious enemy plans to destabilize Pakistan and vowed to defeat terrorism.

TALIBAN SECURITY FORCES KILL 2 MILITANTS FROM ISLAMIC STATE GROUP IN OVERNIGHT RAID

Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, the top elected official in Baluchistan, also denounced the bombing.

“The terrorists who are carrying out such attacks are the enemy of Pakistan,” he said, adding that they will not shake the resolve of the country’s police.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Baluchistan has long struggled with a low-level insurgency by the Baluchistan Liberation Army and other small separatist groups demanding independence from the central government in Islamabad.

Authorities claim to have quelled the insurgency but violence has persisted. The province has also seen attacks by militants from both the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State group.

Share

Recent Posts

Black Hawk pilot failed to heed flight instructor in moments before plane collision over DC: report

close Video Famed stunt pilot was talking to air traffic controllers prior to fatal crash…

1 hour ago

Defunding DEI: Here’s how the Trump administration has undone Biden’s very prized programs

President Donald Trump shut down all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices across the federal…

1 hour ago

UN cash app for Gazans exploited by Hamas as terror group steals aid money meant for civilians

close Video Protesters in Gaza target Hamas For the first time since Hamas seized power…

3 hours ago

Trump’s First 100 Days: Gitmo took early role in deportations prior to El Salvador prison deal

America’s most notorious federal prison, a terrorist detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, took center…

4 hours ago

SCOOP: Republicans roll out $69B funding plan for new CBP agents, building border wall in Trump budget bill

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are carving out $68.8 billion for President Donald Trump’s border…

6 hours ago

Taiwan on edge after Pope Francis’s death, closely watching Vatican-China relations

close Video Mourners pay respects to Pope Francis ahead of funeral Mourners from around the…

8 hours ago