Pakistan: Three, Including Policeman, Injured In Blast Outside Football Stadium In Balochistan

Pakistan: At least three people, including a policeman, were injured in the blast outside the Turbat football stadium situated in Balochistan province.

New Delhi: An explosion took place on Saturday outside a football stadium in Pakistan's Balochistan province. 

At least three people, including a policeman, were injured in the blast outside the Turbat Stadium situated on the Airport Road of the provincial capital of Quetta, when a football match was in progress, news agency PTI reported.

PTI cited a report by the Dawn newspaper as informing that the match was organised by Frontier Corps, South, a paramilitary force of Pakistan that operates in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The bomb went off during the match and it caused panic, following which the spectators were evacuated. Three people, including a policeman on duty at the entrance were injured, but they are out of danger,” a police official said, as quoted by PTI.

As per the officials, all players participating in the match were unhurt.

It was informed that an explosive device was fixed with a motorcycle in the parking area of the stadium, which was detonated by remote control.

Many vehicles were also damaged due to the blast, the official said.

The incident outside the Turbat Stadium took place barely 24 hours after a grenade blast during a T20 league match at Kabul’s International Cricket Stadium that killed two civilians.

As per the Dawn newspaper report cited by PTI, police officials investigating the incident said that security personnel deployed at the stadium were the possible targets of these perpetrators, the Dawn newspaper report said.

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attacks.

Attacks on security officials have intensified in this region since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August last year.

It is seen to have encouraged banned outfits like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan to remain active along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

On July 27, three policemen were killed and two critically injured in separate incidents in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as instances of targeted attacks on the country's security forces caused wide concern.