75 killed, 200 Wounded in Quetta Suicide Attack
Original article at The Baloch Hal | Sep 4th, 2010 | Full Story
QUETTA: At least 75 people were killed and over 200 others received injuries in a suicide attack on Al Qudus Rally at Mezan Chowk in Balochistan's capital city Quetta on Friday. Dozens of people received bullet injuries as heavily armed men resorted to indiscriminate fire on the people following the attack, officials said.
A group of armed men opened indiscriminate firing soon after the blast and many journalists and camera men were manhandled by them and forced to leave the place. Presumably, officials said they tried to hide their faces and weapons they are carrying by chasing away the journalists and particularly TV cameramen. All the shopping centers and outlets in the commercial district were immediately closed as panic triggered in the entire metropolis.
The banned religious militant outfit Lashkar-i-Janghvi claimed responsibility for the attack and warned that if a ban was not imposed on procession and demonstration of Shiite Muslims, they would continue their deadly attacks on Shia Muslims. The spokesman of L-e-J of the banned organization introduced himself as Ali Sher Hayderi while calling from unspecified location.
The Imamia Students Organization (ISO) had taken out a procession after Jumma prayer from Islam Imam Barga on Prince Road to mark the Al Quds day. Hundreds of people were participating in the rally. However police stopped the rally near Mali Bagh on McChangay Road and asked not to further proceed owing to security concern but all in vain. The younger elements in the procession pushed their way further removing the police barricades. When the procession reached Mezan Chowk, suicide bomber blew himself up causing huge losses of lives.
