Terror hit: ISIS Quetta attack claims 61 lives; victims were mostly trainees

Quetta: At least 61 people were killed, most of them fresh police recruits, and 100 others injured after Islamic State militants attacked a police training college in Quetta late Monday night. Three gunmen from a Taliban-linked group burst into the sprawling academy, targeting sleeping quarters that are home to some 700 recruits, sending terrified young men fleeing. “I saw three men in camouflage whose faces were hidden carrying Kalashnikovs. They started firing and entered the dormitory but I managed to escape over a wall,” a survivor said.

The attack on the Balochistan Police College, around 20 kilometres east of provincial capital Quetta, began at around 11:10 pm (local time) on Monday, with gunfire continuing to ring out at the site for several hours. Addressing a news conference after the security forces retook control of the police facility from terrorists, Sarfraz Bugti, Home Minister of Balochistan, said that 61 people were killed and more than 120 wounded.

He said that three terrorists, wearing suicide jackets, entered the Police Training College from the rear gate after killing a watchman and held 250 cadets hostage. Mr Bugti said contingents of army, Frontier Corps (FC) and other law enforcement agencies arrived at the scene soon after the attack and launched an operation. Helicopters and drones were also used for surveillance. He said that one of the terrorists detonated his suicide vest before the arrival of the security forces, causing most of the deaths.

The minister said that the attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al Alami group affiliated to Pakistani Taliban. He told reporters the militants were communicating with handlers in Afghanistan and taking instructions from them. All three attackers were wearing suicide vests. Later the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. It said three attackers were deployed for the attack but did not give the motive for carrying out the attack.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan government came under attack over poor security arrangements at the police training academy. Senior security officials said the terrorists managed to enter the facility, that has been previously attacked twice, taking advantage of the the inadequate security arrangements. Despite perceived security threats, the boundary wall of the centre was made up of mud and five-feet high, officials said.