11 killed in Pakistan blast

Islamabad, June 23: At least 11 people were killed and over 20 injured in a blast in Pakistan s Quetta city, police said.The explosion occurred at around 9 a.m. near Balochistan province s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ehsan Mehboob s office on Gulistan Road where important government offices are located"A suicide bomber was driving a car full of explosives towards the IGP s office and when he was stopped at the check post, the explosion occurred," The Nation quoted a police statement as saying.According to a senior health official, the victims included three police officers and one traffic warden. The injured were shifted to Quetta s Civil Hospital. Four, including a 10-year-old girl, are said to in critical condition.An eyewitness told The Nation, "I was two minutes away from the scene when I heard a loud explosion. The intensity was so severe that when the dust settled, a victim s leg was near me."Balochistan government spokesman Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar said that there were intelligence reports that an attack would take place near Eid. "It s possible the IGP office was the target, or the assailants were trying to enter the (Army) cantonment which is close by," he said.No group has claimed responsibility so far.