DEATH TOLL OF PILGRIMS’ BUSES ATTACK IN SW PAKISTAN RISES TO 24

DEATH TOLL OF PILGRIMS’ BUSES ATTACK IN SW PAKISTAN RISES TO 24

ISLAMABAD, Jun 08, 2014 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) —

The death toll of a suicide attack at two pilgrims’ buses on Sunday night in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan rose to 24, local media reported early Monday.

Interior Secretary of Balochistan province Akbar Durrani said that the incident took place when some unknown miscreants attacked two buses outside a hotel in the Taftan area of Chaghi, a district near Pakistan-Iran border.

The attack killed at least 24 people and injured several others who were rushed to the hospital in Chaghi and Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.

Durrani said a convoy of 10 buses carrying a number of Shia pilgrims was on its way from Iran to Quetta.

“Some blasts were heard followed by intense firing after the buses parked outside a hotel where passengers were scheduled to stay overnight,” Durrani said.

According to local media reports, the attack was of suicide nature but no official confirmed it so far.

Officials said that the attackers first hurled two hand grenades at two buses of the convoy parked outside the Hashmi Hotel before opening indiscriminate firing with automatic guns at them.

Security forces and police rushed to the site and cordoned off the area.

No group or militant organization claimed responsibility for the attack yet.