At least 9 people were killed in a bomb attack in the Mastung area of Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province. 5 of them are children. Another 29 people were injured. The bomb blast took place near the girls' school on Friday (November 1) morning. Pakistani media Dawn reported this news.
Friday's attack targeted police who were in charge of security for a polio vaccination program. Senior Superintendent of Police Rehmat Ullah said that the police van was going to pick up members of the polio vaccination team.
A police officer and a shopkeeper were also killed in the blast, said senior police officer Abdul Fatah.
Kalat District Commissioner Naim Bajai said five school students were killed in the blast.
The blast took place near Mastung Civil Hospital around 8:35 am. According to Google Maps, there is a girls' school within a minute's walk from the hospital.
The blast is believed to have been triggered by an improvised device attached to a motorcycle. The motorcycle was parked near the school.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan strongly condemned this incident
Shahbaz Sharif. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi termed the attack on children as a barbaric act.
Earlier on Tuesday, a policeman was killed in an attack on a health office conducting door-to-door polio vaccination campaign. Polio vaccination program started from Monday.
