At least 10 people, including a soldier, were killed when a bomb exploded near an Army truck in a busy market area in the Pakistani city of Quetta today. The bomb, fitted to a bicycle, went off in the main Meezan square in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, around 1.45 pm, officials said. Ten people were killed in the explosion, state-run APP news agency said. Twenty five others were also injured in the blast, which occurred near an Army truck parked in the square. Defence spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said a soldier was among the dead. Four Army personnel were also injured. Deputy Inspector-General of Baluchistan Pervez Bhatti said the Army truck was the target.Bhatti said the armymen had gone to the market for shopping. He said preliminary investigation suggest the attackers followed the truck until it was parked in the square. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed also termed the blast as a terrorist act and said it may be reaction to the government’s anti-terrorism policy. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast. Officials suspect it could be an attempt by the militant groups to damage the positive image of the country sought to be created by President Pervez Musharraf during his foreign tour to Latin America, the US, UK and France. Musharraf scouted for foreign direct investment during his foreign trip. In the past, Pakistan has experienced bomb blasts after foreign visits by Musharraf. —PTI
