KHUZDAR: A devastating explosion rocked the Zero Point area of Khuzdar on Wednesday, targeting a school bus and resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including four schoolchildren. More than 30 others were injured in the blast, according to Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti.
The targeted school bus was en route to an educational institute with over 40 students on board when the attack occurred in Balochistan, a province frequently plagued by terrorist violence. The deceased include four students, the bus driver, and his assistant. Critically injured victims were airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Quetta for treatment.
Authorities have attributed the attack to militants backed by India, just weeks after a ceasefire agreement was reached between the two countries following heightened tensions.
Security forces identified three of the slain students as Sania Soomoro (Grade 6), Hifza Kousar (Grade 7), and Esha Saleem (Grade 10). The military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), condemned the bombing, describing it as a “cowardly and ghastly attack” orchestrated by the “terrorist state of India” using proxy militants in Balochistan.
The ISPR stated that following India's failure on the battlefield, its proxies were now being deployed to spread terror by targeting civilians, including children. These acts, it said, reflect India’s “abhorrent” use of terrorism as a tool of state policy and a blatant disregard for humanity.
Chief Minister Bugti, in a press conference, revealed that intelligence had indicated a potential attack, but no one had anticipated schoolchildren would be targeted. He condemned the attack as a new low for terrorists and vowed retaliation. “We will avenge the blood of these children,” he stated.
Bugti emphasized that militants in previous attacks, such as the train and Nushki incidents, were eliminated, and those behind the Khuzdar bombing would meet the same fate. He accused India of funding terrorists to destabilize Pakistan and reiterated that the war on terrorism must be understood as a national struggle.
The chief minister also indicated the blast was likely caused by an improvised explosive device (IED), not a suicide attack. An investigation is underway to determine the exact nature and perpetrators of the bombing.
Bugti concluded by urging unity in the fight against terrorism and warned of strong action against all responsible.
