Nine killed in gun attack in Pakistani city of Quetta
At least nine people were killed when
gunmen opened fire outside a
mosque in the second attack in
Quetta in south-west Pakistan in as
many days.
About 20 others were wounded in the
attack, which came as worshippers left
the Sunni Muslim mosque after sunrise
prayers for the Eid al-Fitr festival.
Bullets hit the car of Ali Madad Jatak, a
former Pakistan People's Party provincial
minister, but he was unhurt.
On Thursday dozens of people died in a
suicide bomb blast in Quetta.
In the latest attack, four unidentified
men opened fire on the former minister
as prayers came to a close.
Bystanders helped carry the wounded into
hospital
Children were among those wounded in the
shooting
Witnesses said the gunmen lay in wait
outside for the worshippers
The shooting took place as worshippers
were leaving the mosque after prayers
No group has said it carried out the
shooting, which took place near Quetta's
eastern bypass.
"They fled after killing innocent people,"
Mr Jatak said. "I was the target. They
could have fired at me. They killed
innocent worshippers belonging to
different communities. This is against
humanity. It is brutality on the level of
animals."
Mr Jatak held a ministerial role in the
Balochistan provincial government, as a
representative of the PPP, which headed
the last national coalition government.
"When people came outside on the
stairs, the terrorists were already present
there," Mohammad Adnan, a witness,
told the Associated Press news agency.
"They started shooting and targeting
many people. Two children were among
the martyrs and around 20 people were
injured."
No group has said it carried out the
shooting, which took place near Quetta's
eastern bypass.
Four people died at the scene while the
others succumbed to their injuries in
hospital, a senior local police official,
Bashir Ahmad Brohi told the AFP news
agency.
"The government should take strong
action on the Quetta incident," said Hafiz
Muneeb, one worshipper at a mosque in
the capital, Islamabad. "We are
depressed that such a tragic incident
happened."
Another worshipper, Abdul Rehman, said
Eid al-Fitr was a day of love, unity and
brotherhood. "People should unite to
spread love and remove hatred. We
should aim for peace and stability in the
country," he said.
Quetta has seen a recent surge in
sectarian violence, mostly targeting the
Shia Muslim minority.
The city is the provincial capital of
Balochistan, which is plagued not just by
the Taliban's insurgency, but also by
sectarian in-fighting between Sunnis and
Shias and a rebellion by Baloch
separatists.
On Tuesday militants from the separatist
Baloch Liberation Army shot dead 13 bus
passengers 70 kilometres (44 miles)
south-east of Quetta.
The government of Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif came to power in June after
promising to negotiate with militant
groups.
Officials said they were preparing a
comprehensive security strategy,
bringing together delegates from all
political parties, in an effort to combat
violent extremism.
However the strategy has not yet been
released, and no all-party meeting has
yet been scheduled.
