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9 die in Quetta attack

Nirupama Subramanian

Investigators blame it on Baloch nationalists

ISLAMABAD: In a forceful demonstration that the crisis triggered by the removal of the Chief Justice is not President Pervez Musharraf's only problem, a targeted attack on a vehicle in the Balochistan capital Quetta killed nine persons, seven of whom belonged to the army.

The attack, which investigators blamed on Baloch nationalists, took place hours after a visit to Quetta by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher on Thursday, near the city railway station. The U.S official visited the Baloch capital to review the security situation of the Pak-Afghan border and to assess reported Taliban activities in the city.

He met officials and members of Opposition parties. Among more than 30 persons arrested following the attack in overnight raids for the attack was a leader of the Opposition Baloch National Party Agha Hassan Baloch.

Said to be the most serious attack in recent months, it was carried out by unidentified men who followed the vehicle in their own car for some distance before firing into the van that was taking the soldiers from the railway station to the cantonment area.

The firing was so intense that it killed eight persons on the spot, and one succumbed to his injuries in hospital. News agencies reported that an anonymous caller claiming he was from the shadowy Balochistan Liberation Army phoned the Quetta Press Club with the information that the attack had taken place.

Separately, U.S. deputy secretary of state John Negroponte arrived here on Friday and along with Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher who is already here, met Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry said they discussed Pakistan-U.S relations, the situation in Afghanistan and "counter-terrorism co-operation".

According to the statement, Mr. Kasuri underlined the importance Pakistan attached to the strategic relationship with the U.S.

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