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20 killed, 27 injured in twin bomb attack, firing in Quetta, Pakistan

15 June 2013 22:40 (UTC +04:00)

The killed include 11 female university students, a senior government official, three security personnel, four nurses and one civilian, said Mir Zubair, City Central Police Officer of Quetta, capital of the country's southwest province of Balochistan.

Four militants were also killed in the attacks and one suspected militant was arrested, he said.

According to police and local media reports, a remote- controlled bomb fixed on a university bus went off at about 2:50 p. m. (local time) when students and staff members of Sardar Bahadar Women University in the city were boarding the bus to go back home.

A huge fire broke out following the blast, leaving the bus completely burnt out, eyewitnesses told media.

Rescue team and security personnel rushed to the site shortly after the blast.

All the bodies and injured have been shifted to the local Bolan Medical Complex.

As the hospital was busy with the rescue of the injured people, a bomb went off reportedly outside an intensive care unit in the hospital, killing the deputy commissioner of Quetta Abdul Mansoor Khan and another civilian and wounded five others.

Abdul Mansoor Khan was paying a visit to the blast victims at the hospital when the bomb went off, said local officials.

Following the blast, a fierce firing was reported inside the hospital.

Five heavily armed militants launched an attack at the people inside the hospital.

Apparently they were targeting the officials coming to visit the blast victims in the hospital, said local police.

Large contingent of security personnel was called in and a total of 300-plus security personnel were involved in the operation against the militants, said police.

The operation did not end until 7:40 p.m. local time.

During the operation, three security personnel and four nurses were killed and four militants were also killed, said police.

Two of the militants blew themselves up, one at the entrance of the hospital and another on the second floor of the main building of the hospital, and another two were shot dead during the exchange of the fire, according to local police.

Both Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have strongly condemned the attacks.

Nawaz Sharif had also instructed the local hospital administration to give the best possible medical treatment to the injured people, and he had also contacted the chief minister of Balochistan to enquire about the operation, said local media.

This is the most serious terrorist attack in the country since Nawaz Sharif assumed the office of prime minister on June 5.

So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.