30 dead, 40 injured in Quetta funeral attack

KABUL border, officials said.

The horrifying attack in Quetta, the provincial capital, took place outside a mosque near a police compound, where senior police officers were attending the funeral for a slain police officer, Balochistan police chief Mushtaq Shukera told reporters.

The dead included Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Police Operations Fayyaz Sumbal and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Headquarters Shamsuddi.

They were among 21 police personnel confirmed killed and nine other victims were yet to be identified, Sukhera told a press conference in Quetta.

He said another 40 people injured in the suicide attack had been taken to nearby hospitals, fearing the toll might rise because most of the injured were in critical condition.

The funeral procession was being held for a station house officer (SHO) Mohibullah, hours later he was shot dead by unknown gunmen while taking his family for Eid shopping.

There was fear and chaos among the people attending the funeral following the blast, said witnesses.

TV footages showed frightened mourners scrambling for cover as they heard the loud explosion.

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