QUETTA: At least 15 persons were killed and more than 37 injured as terrorists rammed their explosive laden motorcycle with a passing troops’ carrier at the Old Pishin Stop of Quetta on Saturday night.

Official sources confirmed that it was an incendiary device that targeted the vehicle of the security forces at the Old Pishin Stop close to the maximum security zone in the vicinity.

Later in the night, it was confirmed that eight security personnel were among those killed in the terror attack with an incendiary device due to which a number of passing and parked vehicles also caught fire.

Meanwhile, Mr. Aslam Tareen, Director-General Civil Defence, claimed that it was a suicide attack and the bomber was riding a motorcycle. The terrorists had used 20 KG to 25 kg explosives, stuffed with ball-bearing, in the suicide attack.

However, the official sources confirmed the truck of the security personnel was the target to inflict maximum damage to the persons belonging to security forces. It was much more than the scare bombing by the terrorists.

A number o f passing and parked vehicles caught fire following the explosion with a big bang. The fire tenders immediately rushed to the spot and put down the fire. Official sources confirmed that four cars, four auto-rickshaws and two motorcycles were damaged in the fire caught following the deadly blast.

A big contingent of the Frontier Corps rushed to the spot along with the police force and cordoned off the area and started collecting significant evidence from the site of big explosion.

The blast was big and shock major parts of the city centre creating scare among the people, particularly those residing close the blast site. The area is known for

Initially, the Provincial Home Minister, Sarfraz Bugti confirmed that 15 persons lost their lives and 30 others injured. Official sources said that around eight people are seriously wounded in the terror attack.

The Health Minister, Mr. Rehmat Saleh Baloch told newsmen that an emergency had been declared in the major hospitals, mainly the Civil Hospital, where all the doctors were summoned on emergency duty to deal with the large number of injured people. He said that medicine and other things are made available for treatment of the injured.

Meanwhile, an emergency had also been declared at the Combined Military Hospital where some of the injured persons were shifted for specialized treatment.

Meanwhile, personnel of the police and bomb disposal squad had rushed to the site to hold investigation. However, it is preliminarily confirmed that the terrorists used incendiary device for the first time in Quetta attack.

Sarfraz Bugti told newsmen that the incident would be investigated and all the facilitators were chased and eliminated in the past and this time again they will chased and taken to justice. He said that the target was the vehicle of the security forces.

No detail is available about the assailants as security agencies are conducting probe.