At least 31 people, including five police officials, were martyred and 30 injured in a suicide attack in the Bhosa Mandi area of the provincial capital on Wednesday.

The attack targetted the convoy of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abdul Razzaq Cheema, who remained unhurt in the attack, near a polling station on the Eastern Bypass. DIG Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Riaz Notkani confirmed investigation officer Riaz Notkani was martyred in the Quetta attack and Station House Officer (SHO) Muhammad Hameed received serious injuries.

Police confirmed it was a suicide blast and security forces established a cordon around the site of the attack.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blast in Quetta, Reuters reported.

Two minors were also among the deceased. The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta. The hospital’s spokesperson Waseem Baig confirmed the casualties at 28.

Security officials have warned the number of fatalaities would increase.

This is the first eruption of violence on the day of the General Election.

Caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk was among the first to send his condolences to those who were killed in the blast.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif sent his condolences to those martyred in the blast.

Independent candidate Jibran Nasir also tweeted his condolences saying “an attack on this day is an attack on our aspirations for a strong democracy in Pakistan.”

In a separate incident, a rocket attack took place at Balochistan National Party-Awami’s electoral camp near Bonistan in Panjgur district.

105 million registered voters head to the polls in the Pakistan election 2018 today.

This election has been a fierce battle between former cricket star Imran Khan’s PTI and ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N.

-Agencies