More Than 40 Killed in Pakistan Police Academy Attack

Quetta, 24 Muharram 1438/25 October 2016 (MINA) – Militants attacked a Police Training Centre in Quetta, Pakistan late on Monday night. At least 33 police trainees have been killed in the attack, according to health officials.

Attackers reportedly entered the hostels of the training centre from the front gate and opened fire, possibly also taking some police personnel hostage and injuring 118 cadets,  Associated Press reported.

According to Pakistan media reports, the number of wounded has risen to 51, with 3 people in critical condition. 44 policemen and three militants were killed in the attack. Meanwhile, 200 of the 600 cadets, present in the centre’s hostel, have been rescued.

Five or six militants attacked the training centre’s hostel in Sariab Road at around 11:30 pm, according to reports by the Dawn. The Police Training College is loacted at sarib Road in Quetta, Pakistan.

Chief of the paramilitary Frontier Corps Major General Sher Afgan told reporters that the attackers appeared to be in contact with handlers in Afghanistan. He said the attacker belonged to the banned Lashker-e-Jhangvi group, a militant group affiliated with al-Qaeda.

He said that many of the trainees were killed when the gunmen detonated explosive vests.

The Chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf and former captain Pakistan’s cricket team Imran Khan, condemned the attack and called it “cowardly”.

An emergency has been declared in all government hospitals of the provincial capital, with the injured shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta and the Bolan Medical Complex. (T/P001/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)