Two people were killed and 10 were injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) planted in a bike in the main bazaar of Chaman, Balochistan, went off.

According to police, a Frontier Corps (FC) carrying troops was passing through nearby Mall Road when the bomb exploded, injuring few FC men among others. Two people, including a child, died instantly in the blast.

Injured were rushed to District Headquarter Hospital, where an emergency was imposed. Some of the injured were admitted in critical condition, according to rescue officials, who added that doctors and other paramedic staff were called in at the hospital.

Police and FC paramilitary force cordoned off the whole area in the aftermath of the incident while a fire brigade unit successfully doused the fire erupted following the explosion.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal condemned the blast and expressed his sorrow at the loss of life.

The chief minister said that “security be kept on high alert in sensitive cities”, and directed “police and other law enforcement agencies to take comprehensive security measures”.

At least 20 people were killed and over 45 others were injured in a suicide attack targeting members of the minority Shia Hazara community in Quetta’s Hazarganji market on the same day as the Chaman attack.