Pakistan: 4 children killed in suicide bomb blast in Balochistan, explosive-laden car rams school bus

A suicide car bomb rammed into a school bus in southwestern Pakistan’s restive Balochistan region, killing four children and injuring 38 others, The Associated Press reported, citing sources.

Local Deputy Commissioner Yasir Iqbal said the attack took place in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district while the bus was taking children to school.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, but ethnic Baloch separatists are suspected, as they frequently carry out attacks in the region, according to local media reports.

“A bus carrying children of the APS (Army Public School) was targeted with a bomb, the nature of which is still being determined,” Yasir Iqbal Dashti, a senior local government official in Khuzdar district of Balochistan province, told AFP.

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Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of young lives.

Another explosion this week

Earlier on Sunday, a bomb blast near a market in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province killed four people and injured 20 others, news agency PTI reported.

The explosion occurred near Jabbar Market in the Killa Abdullah district, damaging buildings and causing panic in the area.

Several shops collapsed, and fires broke out in many of them following the blast, The Express Tribune reported.

Balochistan is Pakistan’s ‘problem’ province

Balochistan has faced unrest for years, with separatist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) frequently carrying out attacks in the region.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and most resource-rich province, has long been a centre of unrest due to ongoing separatist movements. Groups like the BLA have been at the forefront of this separatist movement, seeking complete independence from Pakistan.

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The province has suffered from economic marginalisation, lack of political representation, and human rights abuses, with the Pakistani army allegedly persecuting local residents.

‘Republic of Balochistan’ trends on social media

“Republic of Balochistan” started trending on social media after Baloch leaders, including activist Mir Yar Baloch, declared Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan. This happened during rising tensions between India and Pakistan after recent cross-border military actions.

Mir Yar Baloch, a writer and supporter of Baloch rights, made the announcement through posts on platform X. He asked the Indian government to allow a Baloch embassy in New Delhi, called on the United Nations to send peacekeepers to Balochistan, and urged the Pakistani army to leave the region.

With inputs from AP.