21 people killed in Pakistan market bomb blast

Paramedics carry an injured blast victim to a hospital in Quetta on Friday. Pic/AFP

At least 21 people were killed and 50 others injured in a suicide bombing at a crowded market in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Friday, in an attack believed to be targeting the Shiite Hazara ethnic minority community. PM Imran Khan condemned the attack and ordered an inquiry.

The blast took place around 7:35 am at the wholesale market area of Hazarganj in Quetta where Hazaras and other traders come daily to buy fruits and vegetables to later sell at their shops. Deputy Inspector General Abdul Razzaq Cheema said the blast, which occurred when the vegetable and fruit sacks were being loaded onto trucks by the traders, targeted the Hazara ethnic community.

However, Home Minister Ziaullah Langove said the blast was not targeted at "a specific community". "Marri Baloch and Frontier Corps personnel were among those killed as well," Langove said. He also described the blast as a suicide attack.

Officials confirmed 21 people were killed and 50 others hurt in the blast. The security forces fear the death toll may rise, GEO News reported. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Cheema said security has been provided to shopkeepers and traders at the market due to the blast.

Hazaras make up a significant minority group in Pakistan and most of them live in Quetta. This is not the first time that the Hazara community has been targeted by militants in the province.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal condemned the attack and assured that the elements involved in the attack and those leading them would be proceeded against. "People who have an extremist mindset are a menace to the society. We must foil the conspiracy to disrupt peace," he said.

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