QUETTA: A suspected Afghan bomb-maker and four members of his family were killed when an explosive device he was building blew up in their home, unidentified saboteurs blew up a bridge in Babarkatch and fired rockets at security forces check-posts in Kohlu and Dera Bugti areas of Balochistan, police and locals said.

The man’s wife, mother-in-law, brother and three-year-old son died in the blast on the outskirts of Quetta, Balochistan police chief Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob said. His second wife and another son aged 13 were injured and the roof of the house collapsed after the blast, he said. Police found a timer and other material for making bombs. The suspect, Kamaluddin, an Afghan national, was wanted by police following intelligence reports that some saboteurs had entered Pakistan for subversive activities, Yaqoob added.

Police detained Mohammad Saeed, a resident of Afghanistan’s Zabul province, who “confessed” that he had recently crossed the border to set bombs in Quetta, he said.

Also, Baloch fighters blew up a railway bridge number 31 using explosive material. As a result of the blast, 136 feet long track was destroyed. The Unknown people also set on fire fishplates. The authorities have registered a case and launched an operation against the saboteurs.

Also unknown people fired rockets on security forces check-posts in Kohlu area of Kahan and Chashma Tuesday. But no loss of life and property was reported. Report said seven rockets were hurled at the check-posts and the #OOPS#s fled the scene after the security forces retaliated the attack.

According to another report, unidentified people fired three rockets at a fort of Frontier Constabulary (FC) in Dera Bugti area. However, no loss of life was reported. The rockets exploded at an isolated place. The security forces rounded up six suspects from Pirkoh and recovered explosive materials from their possession. A landmine blast in Pirkoh, meanwhile, damaged a water tank.