08 Jan 2020 | 10:50 AM UTC
Pakistan: IED blast kills two in Quetta January 7
IED Blast targeting security forces kills two, injures 18 in Quetta (Baluchistan) January 7; similar attacks likely over the near term
Event
An improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a motorcycle detonated in Quetta (Baluchistan province) on Wednesday, January 7, killing two and injuring 18 others. The bomb was reportedly targeting a police patrol vehicle. As of Wednesday, January 8, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Similar attacks are possible in Baluchistan over the near term.
Context
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qai'da, Islamic State (IS) affiliates, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Afghan Taliban, and other Islamist militant groups continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to push them from their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan has suffered numerous deadly attacks in recent months, notably in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
Advice
Individuals in Quetta are advised to monitor developments, avoid the affected area, and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities.
Due to a high threat from terrorism, as well as kidnapping and sectarian violence, some Western governments advise their citizens to reconsider travel to Pakistan as foreign nationals, and Westerners in particular, may be directly targeted.
