Quetta [Pakistan], February 28 (ANI): A total of 10 people, including 1 security personnel, were injured on Friday when a motorcycle strapped with explosives blew up near the Jan Muhammad Road in Balochistan's Quetta, according to officials.

Following the blast, police and rescue teams were sent to the scene and started relief efforts, shifting any injured persons to nearby hospitals, Geo News reported.

The authorities have blocked off the area and are investigating the nature and cause of the explosion.

In a statement earlier, Police officials revealed that explosive materials were strapped to a motorcycle, however, an investigation is underway to determine the cause.

Earlier today, a separate bomb blast in Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province killed six people, including the top official of Darul Uloom Haqqania. The blast exploded in the front row soon after the Friday prayers at a seminary's mosque, Geo News reported.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed told Geo News that Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq Haqqani, the son of Maulana Sami-ul-Haq Haqqani, was the target of the attack.

Geo News reported that the country has witnessed a 'sharp increase' in terror attacks in January of this year, surging by 42 pc compared to the previous month, quoting the data released by the think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The think tank had recorded 74 militant attacks across the country, resulting in 91 deaths, which included fatalities of 35 security personnel, 20 civilians and 36 militants. Additionally, 117 people, including 53 security personnel, 54 civilians and 10 militants sustained injuries.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the site of the mosque attack, is the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan, according to the report.

Geo news reported that in KP's districts militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.

The tribal districts of KP (erstwhile Fata) witnessed 19 attacks, leading to 46 deaths, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 militants. Additionally, Balochistan has also seen a surge in militant activity, with 24 attacks claiming 26 lives, including 11 security personnel, 6 civilians, and nine militants. (ANI)