Senior gov't official among 13 killed in twin bomb attack in Quetta, Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, June 15 (Xinhua) -- A senior government official was among the 13 people killed in a twin bomb attack in Pakistan's southwest city of Quetta on Saturday, said local police.

Deputy Commissioner of Quetta Abdul Mansoor Khan was killed in the blast while he was visiting the people hospitalized for injury from the first explosion that hit the city earlier on Saturday afternoon, said a spokesman of the local police department.

Another civilian was also killed in the hospital blast while several others including an assistant to the official and a local private TV channel person were injured.

The second blast reportedly went off outside an intensive care unit at the local Bolan Medical Complex which had admitted many victims of the previous blast that occurred on a university bus at about 3:00 p.m. local time.

Firing was heard following the hospital blast. Local medial workers reported that more than five militants, heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, were hiding inside the hospital.

The exchange of fire between the militants and security personnel is still going on there.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has contacted the chief minister of Balochistan to enquire about the on-going operation in the hospital.

More than 300 security personnel have been called in for the operation, reported local media.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, a remote-control bomb fixed inside a school bus of the Sardar Bahadar Women's University went off while the university students and staff members aboard were going back home.

A huge fire broke out following the blast, leaving the bus completely destroyed.

Local police officer Mir Zhubair confirmed that 11 students were killed in the first blast and 22 others including university students and staff members were injured.

Both Pakistani Asif President Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif have strongly condemned the attack and Sharif has ordered the local hospital administration to provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured.

No group has claimed responsibility for the twin bomb attack yet.

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