At least 25 people were killed and dozens more wounded in three separate attacks across Pakistan on Tuesday, officials said, including a suicide bombing that targeted a political rally in the southwestern province of Balochistan.
The deadliest incident occurred in Quetta, Balochistan’s provincial capital, where a bomber detonated explosives in the parking lot of a stadium hosting a rally of the Balochistan National Party (BNP). Fourteen people were killed and scores injured, with at least seven reported to be in critical condition, two provincial officials told AFP on condition of anonymity.
BNP leader Akhtar Mengal had just addressed the gathering and left the venue moments before the blast. He later confirmed on social media that he was safe. The BNP has long campaigned for greater rights and economic investment for the Baloch community.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, has been at the heart of an insurgency for more than a decade. Despite significant Chinese investment in infrastructure projects tied to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, many Baloch argue that local communities have seen little benefit. Violence in the province surged in 2024, with 782 deaths recorded.
Elsewhere in Balochistan on Tuesday, five paramilitary personnel were killed and four others wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their convoy close to the Iranian border, a senior official said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for either of the Balochistan attacks.
In a third assault in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, six soldiers were killed after militants staged a complex suicide raid on a paramilitary headquarters in Bannu. According to security officials, a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into the camp gate, allowing five attackers to storm the facility. A gun battle lasting 12 hours ensued before all six militants were killed.
The militant group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan later claimed responsibility for the Bannu attack.
According to AFP figures, more than 430 people — mostly security personnel — have been killed in violence linked to armed groups in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the beginning of this year.
Source: NDTV
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