QUETTA:
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Quetta confirmed on Thursday that the blast at the Serena Hotel was a suicide attack, as the death toll in the incident rose to five.
The powerful blast took place in the parking lot of the hotel late Wednesday night.
According to the CTD spokesperson, it has been confirmed during the investigation that the blast was a suicide attack.
The spokesperson further said that the incident is being investigated from different angles, adding that a case has also been registered at the CTD police station, Quetta.
Meanwhile, another security guard injured in the attack, Naseebullah, succumbed to his injuries, with the death toll now standing at five.
Those who lost their lives in the blast include a police officer, duty manager Shahbzeb Yousafzai, and two security guards.
Officials said that Chinese ambassador and other Chinese officials were staying at the hotel but were not present in the hotel when the blast took place in the parking lot.
“All guests staying in the hotel were deemed safe in the blast,” officials said.
The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the Serena hotel blast. A spokesman for the TTP said, “Our suicide bomber used his explosive filled car in the hotel.”
However, police said that initial investigation revealed that the explosive device was planted in a car parked in the hotel’s parking area.
The Serena Hotel is located in front of the Balochistan Assembly and the Balochistan High Court while Iranian consulate is also close to the hotel.
