Quetta, Oct 25 (NIA) – The death toll from a militant attack on a police college in the Pakistani city of Quetta, rose to 61 by Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
Pakistan Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif, arrived in Quetta, hours after the attack and visited the police training college where he met police officials, army and Frontier Corps troops who carried out the operation on Monday night to clear the area and eliminate the attackers.
According to reports, General Raheel will chair a high-level security meeting during his visit. He will also go to the hospital to visit the injured.
Atleast 118 people have been injured as three militants wearing suicide bomb vests entered the college late on Monday, reportedly taking hostages.
So-called Islamic State (IS) said its fighters had carried out the attack, although officials have blamed another militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
Hundreds of trainees were evacuated from Balochistan Police College as troops arrived to repel the militants. Local media reported at least three explosions at the scene.
Later on Tuesday, General Raheel, along with Balochistan Home Minister, Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Sanaullah Zehri and several others, attended the funeral prayers of those killed in the attack.
Local media reports said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also cancelled all scheduled commitments and had departed for Quetta.
