Four people were killed and over a dozen others injured when an bomb-laden vehicle exploded in the parking lot of a hotel in Pakistan's Quetta city, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad confirmed.
There was a threat alert in Quetta and other major cities after some suspicious calls were intercepted and security forces, including those in cities of Balochistan were on high alert, Rasheed told Xinhua news agency on Wednesday night.
He said that despite the security measures, the vehicle carrying explosives managed to enter the parking lot from the main gate of Serena Hotel, which is a matter of big concern. The people responsible for creating the security lapse will be taken to task as it gave terrorists a chance to carry out the attack.
Terror group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility in a text message to journalists saying a suicide bomber had launched the attack targeting locals and foreigners, but the claim has not yet been officially confirmed.
The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital whose spokesman Waseem Baig told Xinhua that two of the injured people are in critical condition and a state of emergency has been declared at the hospital by the provincial government.
40 Kg Explosives Used
Soon after the blast, the hotel's parking area on its premises was sealed by the counter-terrorism department of police. Media access to the site is also restricted, Inspector General Police of Balochistan Muhammad Tahir Rai said.
According to initial investigation, 40 kg of explosives were used in the attack.
Several vehicles were gutted in a fire following the blast, he added.
Talking to Xinhua, intelligence sources, who were close to the hotel when the incident occurred, said that the blast could be heard many miles away from the site.
Security has been beefed up in other cities, including Islamabad, and all sensitive government buildings and installations are being closely guarded, according to local reports.
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