IED blast in Dukki kills three brothers and injures another

Three brothers were killed and another man was injured in an improvised explosive device blast in the Loni tehsil of the Dukki district in Balochistan, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Sunday. According to the police, the explosion took place in the Killi Bakhtiar Khan area as a vehicle was passing through a riverbed, according to Dukki Superintendent of Police Mansoor Ahmed Buzdar. Speaking to the media, the police officer said the victims were travelling in their vehicle to carry out farming work when the explosion occurred. The three brothers who died were identified as Rehmatullah, Daurani and Niamatullah, sons of Sultan. The injured man was identified as Atiqullah, son of Maulvi Naik Muhammad. Police said the bodies and the injured man were taken to hospital. A search operation was launched in the area after the blast as investigators began examining the site. The incident comes about two months after security forces killed three suspected militants during an intelligence-based operation in the Loni area of Dukki, according to a report published by the 24NewsHD TV channel in June. At the time, security sources said they had received information about the presence of militants allegedly sponsored by India in the area. The sources said the three suspects were killed during an exchange of fire. Security sources also claimed that weapons and explosives were recovered from the suspects and that they were linked to several attacks, including the Rara Hashim attack and the burning of trucks. The latest blast has prompted a search operation in the area, while police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the explosion. Reporter: Rehmat Ullah