Balochistan remains engulfed in violence as 13 people were killed in two separate attacks targeting bus passengers and a house in the province.
In the first incident, five passengers were killed when armed men intercepted a Karachi-bound bus in Gwadar’s Kalmat area. The gunmen offloaded the passengers and executed them on the spot. Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Hamoodur Rehman confirmed the deaths, and Jiwani Station House Officer Khalid Dashti reported that the injured were rushed to Pasni Hospital. The death toll later rose to six after one of the injured succumbed to his injuries. Police confirmed that one of the deceased was from Multan.
In a separate attack, seven people were killed in a village in Sohbat Pur district. Unknown assailants opened fire at a house and then set it ablaze. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Yousaf Banghar stated that the victims, all from the same family, included a woman and three children. The attack is believed to be linked to a land dispute between the victims and the attackers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Gwadar attack, expressing deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives. He directed authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure those responsible are held accountable. The Prime Minister also emphasized that such cowardly terrorist acts against innocent civilians highlighted the brutality of the attackers and ordered the provision of the best medical care for the injured.
This attack follows a deadly wave of violence in Balochistan. Just days earlier, militants killed eight people—four laborers and four police personnel—in Kalat and Noshki districts. Additionally, a recent explosion on the Nushki-Dalbandin highway killed five, including three Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers, and injured 35 others.
Earlier this month, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants blew up a railway track and attacked the Jaffar Express, which was carrying over 440 passengers. Security forces managed to neutralize 33 attackers and rescue the hostages, but the incident resulted in 26 deaths, including 18 security personnel, three railway officials, and five civilians. Three FC personnel were also martyred in a prior attack on a picket.
