Four people were killed and 32 injured in a blast targeting a bus on the outskirts of Turbat in Balochistan on Saturday, police said.
Balochistan Inspector General of Police’s Office Public Relations Officer Rabia Tariq confirmed the toll to Dawn.com, saying that the nature of the blast was being assessed but full details would be given only after an investigation.
According to initial information, a bus travelling from Karachi to Turbat was targeted in the New Bahman area, and the condition of five of the injured is critical and they have been taken to a nearby hospital.
Tariq said a large contingent of police and security forces have reached the spot and cordoned off the area and further investigation into the blast is underway.
Quetta Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zohaib Mohsin was also on his way to Turbat with his family when he was also hit by the blast, she said.
According to a statement by Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind, SSP Mohsin and four of his family members sustained minor injuries.
Rind said that after necessary arrangements, the bodies would be sent to their native places, the injured would be provided medical assistance and the seriously injured would be shifted to other cities.
A banned militant group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack and prayed for the dead and injured.
“The terrorists will not succeed in their evil aims. The government and security forces are acting firmly against terrorists. We are determined to eradicate terrorism from Pakistan.”
Condemning the attack, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed “deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious human lives.”
Expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased, he said, “Those who target innocent people do not deserve to be called human beings,” and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
One person was injured when a bomb exploded in a gas company vehicle in Qila Saifullah district on Wednesday. Police officials said the terrorists had planned to attack the Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited camp near Qila Saifullah town.
A suicide bombing near Quetta railway station in November last year killed 26 people and injured 62, local authorities and hospital officials said.
Pakistan, especially Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saw a sharp rise in terrorism-related incidents in 2024.
With at least 685 security personnel killed in 444 terrorist attacks, 2024 became the deadliest year for Pakistan’s civilian and military security forces in a decade.
