Two more Shia Hazaras shot dead in Quetta

DAILY TIMES

Another two Shia Hazaras were gunned down on Saturday on Brewery Road in Quetta in a spate of sectarian killing. The Frontier Corps (FC) claimed to have arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the killing. The officials also claimed to have seized arms from them. According to police, two people, Baban Ali and Hussain Ali, were riding a motorcycle on Brewery Road when an unidentified man opened fire on them. Baban died on the spot while Hussain Ali was shifted to the Combined Military Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased were the residents of Hazara Town. “A man on foot opened fire on the men riding a motorcycle,” police official Amir Dasti said while quoting witness accounts. He said it was a case of sectarian killing and investigation was underway. Strong contingents of police and security forces reached the spot and shifted the body to the Bolan Medical Complex. “The victims were shot in head and chest,” hospital sources said. Dozens of Shias staged a protest demonstration on Brewery Road. They burnt tyres and blocked the road. The charged protesters shouted slogans against the government and law enforcement agencies for their failure to protect the Hazara community. Meanwhile, the Frontier Corps spokesman said the killers had been apprehended after officials deployed on Brewery Road chased the criminals. “The attackers after targeting two people tried to escape from the scene. Security forces chased the killers with the help of local people,” he said in a press release. Those arrested were identified as Guharam Soori Khan and Mian Khan Mengal. Later, another suspect was arrested on the information gathered from the accused during interrogation. The arrested suspects were handed over to Brewery Police for further interrogation, the FC official said, adding that the people present on the spot had also identified the target killers. In the last one week, as many as 29 Shias have been gunned down in Quetta.