The Baluchistan province in southwestern Pakistan was struck by violence as suspected militants riding a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at a store selling Pakistani national flags in Liaquat Bazar, Quetta. The attack, which occurred ahead of Pakistan’s 77th independence day, resulted in at least one fatality and left six others wounded. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Wasim Baig, a government hospital spokesperson, confirmed that the hospital received the injured individuals and the deceased victim after the grenade explosion. This attack follows a warning from the Baluch Liberation Army, a separatist group in Baluchistan, urging shop owners not to sell Pakistani national flags and advising against celebrating Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14.
The Baluch separatists have been engaged in a prolonged insurgency in Baluchistan, advocating for independence from the central government in Islamabad. Despite claims of quelling the insurgency, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in violence in Baluchistan in recent months. The region also shares a border with Afghanistan, where Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups frequently launch cross-border attacks on security forces.
Additionally, security officials reported a separate attack by militants on security forces in South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Tuesday. The perpetrators behind this incident, which occurred in a former Taliban stronghold, have not been identified yet. In recent years, Pakistan has experienced a rise in militant attacks, often attributed to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an ally of the Afghan Taliban.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has become more active following the Afghan Taliban’s assumption of power in Afghanistan in August 2021, coinciding with the U.S. and NATO troops’ withdrawal after two decades of presence in the country.