A suicide bombing targeting a school bus in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Wednesday left at least six children dead and 38 others injured, prompting widespread condemnation and fears of renewed militant activity in the region.
The explosion took place near Zero Point in the Khuzdar district as the vehicle was ferrying children of the Army Public School for their morning classes. Yasir Iqbal Dashti, a senior government official in Khuzdar, confirmed to reporters that “at least four children were killed and 38 people were wounded”.
“The school bus belonged to Army Public School as it was picking children in the morning when the suicide bomber attacked it,” he stated.
The powerful blast ripped through the vehicle, severely damaging it and inflicting heavy casualties among the young passengers. Emergency services rushed the injured — most of them schoolchildren — to local hospitals for immediate medical attention.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi denounced the bombing in strong terms, expressing “deep sorrow and grief” over the loss of young lives.
“The enemy attacked innocent children with barbarity. The attack on the school bus is a heinous conspiracy of the enemy to create instability in the country,” he remarked in an official statement.
Also read: Balochistan declares Independence from Pak, seeks India's support
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Khuzdar, the force of the explosion left a trail of devastation, with the charred remains of the bus bearing testimony to the scale of the attack.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the atrocity thus far, security agencies suspect the involvement of banned militant outfits that have long operated in the troubled province.
Balochistan and neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have witnessed a resurgence in extremist violence over recent months, despite ongoing counter-insurgency operations.
In recent weeks, several plots were reportedly foiled and numerous militants neutralised in intensified security operations across Pakistan’s north-western border regions. Authorities fear that such attacks on soft targets may escalate as extremist groups seek to instil fear and destabilise the country’s internal security.
Follow us
