3 terrorists attacked Police Training College in Sariab area of Quetta late Monday night, killing 43 and injuring at least 117 recruits.
Inspector General Frontier Corps (FC) Major General Sher Afgan, while sharing details of the operation, said that the actual count of casualties cannot be confirmed right now “but more than 43 people were killed in the attack and 117 injured”.
Balochistan government’ spokesman Anwar ul Haq Kakar while talking to local news channel ‘Samaa Tv’ said “Five to six terrorists barged into the academy from back side and went straight to the hostel,”
“Around 200 to 250 normally stay in the academy’s hostel,” he said, adding that there is no confirmation of any hostages
IG Frontier Corps Major General Sher Afghan said that the attackers were associated with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami terrorist group and were receiving directions from Afghanistan.
He praised the armed forces for carrying out a swift operation against the militants and securing the area.
“Within three hours the operation was concluded,” he said. “What could be better than that?”
Speaking to media personnel, Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that a definitive death toll could not be ascertained at the moment yet the expected toll could be anywhere between twenty to thirty officials. He said that the militants had targeted the guard of the hostel before entering the premises.
“The militants targeted the sentry stationed at the watch tower,” he said. “He fought bravely against the militants but embraced martyrdom,” he added.
Bugti claimed that at the time of the attack, an estimated 700 cadets were present inside the Police Training Centre. He further claimed that two suicide bombers also blew themselves up inside the training centre. One suicide bomber was killed before he could detonate himself.
“The attackers were receiving directions from Afghanistan,” he said.
He praised the security forces for clearing a majority area of the compound within four hours and in the absence of proper lighting.
Security forces killed two terrorists and rescued 250 cadets who were held as hostages. The search and sweep operation was almost nearing conclusion, as sources claimed that two out of the three compounds had been cleared from militants.
According to the ISPR, 5-6 terrorists entered the hostel of the Police Training Centre and opened indiscriminate fire. ISPR also disclosed that FC personnel and police had reached the place of the attack and surrounded the training centre.
An emergency was imposed across hospitals in Quetta. According to sources, four cadets, who got injured while escaping from the attack, were shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Hospital sources confirmed that injured persons were admitted into Quetta Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical Complex for medical treatment.
Sources claimed that three blasts were heard from inside the Police Training Center, which most likely resulted from suicide bomb attacks.
Speaking to local new channel ‘Geo News’, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri said in response to a question that the government had received intelligence reports a couple of days earlier of the presence of a couple of militants who had entered Quetta to carry out subversive activities.
“I am personally monitoring the security situation at the moment,” he said. “Those responsible for the terrorist attack will be brought to book,” he added.
Zehri said that as soon as the government had received intelligence reports of the presence of militants in the city, Quetta had been put on high alert.
