Unrest in southwestern Pakistan claims lives of 7 people

Unrest in the southwestern province of Balochistan has led to the death of seven people and the injury of nine others, police said on Tuesday. According to a senior police official, militants opened fire on a car in Qandahari Bazar area in Quetta city, killing two people on the spot and wounding another individual. The official said that the incident might be an act of sectarian violence, noting that the deceased were of the Shia sect. The militants fled away from the scene and shopkeepers pulled down shutters after the incident in the commercial hub of Quetta, he said. Moreover, two people were killed and eight others were injured in a blast in Chaman area of Balochistan along borders with Afghanistan. According to police, the blast took place near the Bab-e-Dosti (friendship gate) between Pakistan and Afghanistan outside a Mosque. The loud blast was heard across the city spreading a wave of fear. The security forces cordoned off the area and the wounded were transferred to the nearby district hospital. Meanwhile, three dead bodies were found in Dera Bugti district of Balochistan. The dead bodies were taken to a nearby hospital for autopsy.