Suicide blasts in Pakistan kill 23

ISLAMABAD: Al-Qaeda in Balochistan targeted the residence of DIG Frontier Constabulary (FC) Quetta on Wednesday in revenge attacks, killing 23 people and injuring 40 others in twin suicide blasts.
The suicide attacks followed the arrest of one of the top-ranking operatives of Al-Qaeda in Balochistan, Younus Al-Mauritani.
Security sources said that DIG FC Brig. Farrukh Shahzad was the target of the suicide bombers. Brig. Shahzad survived the attack but was injured.
According to sources, two suicide bombers targeted the residence of DIG FC located in Civil Lines area near the commissioner office.
The first suicide bomber, with explosives-laden vehicle, hit an FC vehicle while the other opened indiscriminate firing and barged into the residence of DIG FC Brig. Farrukh Shahzad and blew himself up.
The two suicide blasts caused massive damages. An FC vehicle was destroyed completely and caught fire while in the second suicide blast the residence of DIG FC was damaged.
The deceased included the wife of Brig. Shahzad, Col. Khalid, FC personnel and passersby. A child was also among the people killed in the blast.
A heavy contingent of police, FC and other security agencies, participated in rescue activities. Brig. Shahzad and FC personnel were among the injured, who were taken to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and Civil Hospital Quetta where, according to hospital sources, the condition of several injured people was serious.
Security sources said that both blasts were of high intensity. Windowpanes of the nearby buildings were smashed following the blast and several vehicles parked nearby were destroyed completely.
Director Civil Defense Saleh Muhammad Nasir said that explosives used in both the suicide blasts were of different kinds and material used in one of the suicide blasts had never been used before in terror attacks. At least 100 kg of explosives was used in the blast to target the FC vehicle.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Balochistan Gov. Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and Chief Minister Raisani have strongly condemned the suicide attacks. They said that terrorists couldn’t weaken the government’s resolve and stance on terrorism and extremism through such acts.