QUETTA, Pakistan — A deadly explosion from an improvised explosive device occurred on Saturday in the southwestern city of Turbat, resulting in one fatality and 35 injuries, according to local police.
Images captured at the scene depicted chaos as vehicles navigated through the city until a powerful blast engulfed one of them in flames.
Police officer Roshan Baloch reported that among the injured, eight individuals were in critical condition while the remaining casualties were stable. The majority of those hurt were soldiers. The explosive device, which was hidden in a vehicle parked alongside the road, was detonated remotely, Baloch revealed.
Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister of Balochistan province, denounced the attack vehemently, stating, “Those who target innocent people do not deserve to be called human beings.”
The Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist militant group, has claimed responsibility for the bombing, although they reported higher casualty numbers. They also indicated that the IED specifically targeted a military convoy.
Balochistan is the largest province in Pakistan in terms of land area, yet it remains the least populated. This region is predominantly home to the ethnic Baloch minority, who assert that they experience systemic discrimination from the government.
The province has been plagued by ongoing insurgency, featuring various separatist groups that orchestrate attacks, primarily aimed at security forces in their struggle for independence. Additionally, multiple militant organizations operate within the area.
On the same day, in a separate incident in northwest Pakistan, armed assailants opened fire on government vehicles that were transporting officials overseeing aid convoys headed to a beleaguered district. Several individuals sustained injuries in this attack.
The aid trucks were loaded with essential supplies, including food, fuel, and medicine for residents of Kurram district, an area that has witnessed numerous fatalities in recent months due to conflicts over land disputes.
In light of the violence, officials closed off access to the district and enacted a communications blackout in an effort to control the situation. However, these measures have left the local population deprived of crucial supplies.
The gunfire incident led to the suspension of the aid convoy, as confirmed by spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Muhammad Ali Saif. This escalation followed closely after local elders had successfully negotiated a ceasefire.
