PM Sharif, army chief attend high-level security meeting in Quetta

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday reached Quetta for a high -level security meeting, after terrorists stormed a police training college in the provincial capital killing around 60 people.

The meeting is being held at the governor house in Quetta and the Prime Minister cancelled his prior engagements in Islamabad for his Quetta visit, reports the Dawn.

Three heavily-armed militants wearing suicide vests stormed a police academy in Quetta, killing at least 59 people and wounding dozens more.

Most of the deaths were caused when two of the attackers blew themselves up. The third was shot by Frontier Corps troops.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri announced a three-day mourning period in the province to mourn the attack.

Earlier, the army chief visited the police training academy where he reviewed the security situation and was briefed on the attack by officials.

Senior police officials claimed there were poor security arrangements at the academy.

Despite security threats and being located in one of Quetta's sensitive areas, the boundary wall of the police training centre was a mud wall five feet high, the officials said.

The United States also condemned the terror attack as State Department Spokesman John Kirby said that the US would continue to work with "our partners in Pakistan and across the region" to combat the threat of terrorism.