Pakistan: Three killed, 21 injured in bomb attack in Quetta, Balochistan
(Agencies): A powerful bomb attack near a police van in Barech Market in Quetta’s Double Road area killed three people and injured 21 others including four police officers, reported local authorities.
Police said the explosion caused damage to the police vehicle as well as nearby cars and motorcycles. Rescue teams quickly arrived at the scene and transported the injured to a local hospital.
The blast targeted a police van on routine patrol, severely injuring officers inside the vehicle.
A spokesperson for the Balochistan government confirmed that security forces had cordoned off the area and that an investigation was underway. No fatalities were immediately reported.
No group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far.
Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, has seen attacks targeting security forces amid a broader insurgency in the region.
According to Police Surgeon Dr Ayesha Faiz, three people lost their lives in the attack, while multiple injured individuals remain in critical condition. Dr Abdul Hadi, the Medical Superintendent (MS) of Sandeman Hospital, confirmed that four victims are in critical condition.
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the bombing and expressed “deep sorrow” and “regret” over the loss of lives in the terrorist attack.
The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
The data revealed that at least 74 militant attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 militants. Another 117 individuals sustained injuries, including 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 militants.
KP remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan. In KP’s settled districts, militants carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two militants.
Meanwhile, at least eight passengers were killed in a brutal attack on a Karachi-bound bus in Gwadar’s Kalmat area,Balochistan, on Wednesday night.
The incident occurred in the Kalmat area, where five people died instantly, and one succumbed to injuries later while receiving treatment at the hospital. Authorities confirmed that the victims, all travelling to Karachi, included a man from Multan.
The workers, who were involved in tubewell installation in Langzai, were targeted and killed by gunmen. Local officials confirmed that the victims were from Sadiqabad, Punjab
Militants blocked a highway in the Kalmat area, and offloaded the passengers from a Karachi-bound bus late Wednesday night.
The armed men checked the identification cards of the passengers before killing them. The deceased belonged to northeastern Punjab, the country’s largest and richest province, according to local media.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident in a post on X, saying: “Offloading innocent passengers from a bus and murdering them based on their identity is a heinous and cowardly act.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, however, the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has carried out similar attacks in the past.
Last week, four laborers from Punjab were killed by unidentified assailants in Balochistan’s Kalat district, while four policemen were similarly gunned down in Noshki district.
There are reports of several other road blockades by armed men in Bolan, Kolpur and Mastung areas, where security forces were engaged in clearing the roads.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in separate statements, also condemned the incident, calling the attackers the “enemies of peace and development.”
The minerals-rich Balochistan province has long been witnessing a low-intensity rebellion, with renewed attacks by BLA in recent weeks.
The BLA militants, earlier this month, hijacked a passenger train in the Bolan region, killing 31 people, including five paramilitary troops. Some 33 suspected attackers were also killed in a day-long security operation.
Separatist groups have been fighting for the “liberation” of Balochistan, which they claim was forcibly incorporated into Pakistan in 1947, following the end of British colonial rule.
[Photo: Earlier on 11 March, 80 freed passengers of the hijacked Jaffar Express arrive at Quetta Railway Station in Quetta, Pakistan. A gun battle was underway between security forces and heavily armed militants who claimed to have taken 214 passengers hostage after attacking a train in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in a statement to local media, claimed responsibility for the brazen attack. Photographer: Mazhar Chandio/AA]
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