A suicide car bomber attacked a convoy of buses carrying security personnel in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least five officers and two civilians, as reported by military and police sources. The incident occurred in Naushki, a district in Balochistan, leaving another ten individuals injured, with some in critical condition, who were subsequently transported to a nearby hospital.
Following the bombing, authorities alleged that separatist rebels fired on the buses. The Baloch Liberation Army, an outlawed group, claimed responsibility for this assault. In response, a military statement assured that operations to secure the area would continue, affirming that those responsible for this “heinous and cowardly act” would face justice.
This latest attack follows a week of violence in the region, during which rebels targeted a train, resulting in approximately 400 hostages and the deaths of 26 individuals before security forces intervened and eliminated all 33 assailants.
Sarfraz Bugti, Balochistan’s chief minister, noted that security forces returned fire, killing at least four attackers during the confrontation. Balochistan, rich in oil and mineral resources, remains Pakistan’s largest and least populated province. The local ethnic Baloch population has long accused the central government of neglect and discrimination, claims that Islamabad denies. The Baloch Liberation Army continues to strive for independence from federal control.