An explosion targeting a police bus in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province has left at least three officers dead and 16 others injured. The incident occurred on Tuesday in the Mastung district, approximately 40 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Quetta. According to local administration official Raja Muhammad Akram, the bus was transporting around 40 police officers when it was struck by a roadside improvised explosive device (IED).
The blast resulted in three fatalities, with authorities reporting that two of the wounded officers are in critical condition. Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the provincial government, confirmed the death toll and the condition of the injured officers. While no group has claimed responsibility for this attack, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an active militant group in the region, is known for its frequent assaults on state forces, foreign nationals, and non-locals.
This incident highlights the ongoing security issues in Balochistan, which has been plagued by a separatist insurgency for decades. The province, rich in minerals and situated near the borders of Afghanistan and Iran, has witnessed increased violence in recent times. For instance, just last month, ethnic Baloch separatists attacked a passenger train with approximately 450 people onboard, resulting in a two-day siege that left dozens dead.
An AFP tally indicates that since the start of the year, over 200 individuals—primarily security personnel—have lost their lives in attacks carried out by armed groups throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. This rising tide of violence follows a concerning trend that emerged after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, marking last year as the deadliest in a decade for Pakistan. The recent explosion reinforces the urgency of addressing the instability that continues to affect the region and its inhabitants.
