Deadly Bombing Hits School Bus in Pakistan’s Balochistan, Killing Five, Including Children

A devastating bomb blast struck a school bus in Pakistan’s conflict-ridden Balochistan province on Tuesday, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more, according to local police. The attack, which occurred around 07:40 local time (02:40 GMT) near the remote town of Khuzdar, has shocked the nation and drawn widespread condemnation.

Police told the BBC that the bus was carrying approximately 40 schoolchildren when the explosion ripped through the vehicle. Among the five confirmed dead, three were children. Images shared on social media reveal the horrific aftermath—charred remains of the bus and children’s backpacks scattered amid the wreckage. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Balochistan has long been a hotspot of insurgent violence and human rights abuses. The region, situated in Pakistan’s southwest, has been embroiled in a protracted separatist insurgency led by groups demanding independence from the central government.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack in harsh terms, calling it "sheer barbarism" and describing the perpetrators as "beasts who target children" to destabilize the country. While no direct evidence has surfaced, Pakistan's military swiftly blamed neighboring India and its alleged proxies operating in Balochistan for orchestrating the attack. The accusation comes at a time of high tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Just weeks ago, a militant assault on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir triggered a deadly two-week flare-up between the countries, with India conducting retaliatory strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Earlier this year, the region also witnessed a deadly assault in the Sibi district of Balochistan. In March, 21 civilians and four military personnel were killed when militants laid siege to a train. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for that attack. The BLA, which seeks independence for Balochistan, has been designated a terrorist organization by both Pakistan and several Western nations, including the UK and the US.

Pakistan's military has repeatedly accused the BLA of acting as a proxy for Indian intelligence agencies—a claim the BLA has denied. Conversely, human rights activists and Baloch groups allege that Pakistani security forces have committed numerous abuses over the years. They report that thousands of ethnic Baloch have been forcibly disappeared, many allegedly abducted, detained without legal recourse, tortured, or killed in operations against the separatist movement.

The bombing has once again brought global attention to the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan and the broader implications for regional stability.

Source: BBC