A roadside bomb detonated near a bus transporting security personnel in the volatile southwestern region of Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least five officers and injuring 10 others, according to police. The attack took place in Naushki, a district in Balochistan, said local police chief Zafar Zamanani.
Zafar Zamanani, the local police chief, stated and the New Indian Express reported that the blast also severely damaged another nearby bus. The casualties were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
He explained that the convoy, consisting of seven buses, was en route to
Taftan near the Iranian border when one of the buses was struck by an explosives-laden car in Naushki.
Balochistan’s Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, condemned the attack.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) later claimed responsibility for the assault, asserting that 90 personnel had been killed, though this claim has not been independently verified.
The exact number of casualties remains unverified.
This attack is part of a broader series of escalations by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Just days earlier, the group hijacked a train carrying around 400 passengers, killing nearly 30 hostages before security forces launched a counteroffensive, killing all 33 attackers.
Balochistan, rich in oil and minerals, is Pakistan’s largest and least populated province. Ethnic Baloch residents have long accused the central government of discrimination, a claim that Islamabad has consistently denied.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has been demanding independence from the central government, seeking greater autonomy and control over the region’s resources. The group has long been involved in violent insurgent activities, citing perceived neglect and discrimination by the Pakistani state.
