Suicide Car Bomb Hits School Bus in Pakistan, Kills 5
A suicide car bomber rammed into a school bus on Wednesday in Khuzdar, southwestern Pakistan, killing five people — including at least three children — and injuring 38 others, according to local officials. The blast is the latest in a series of attacks in Balochistan, a province long plagued by insurgency.
Deputy Commissioner Yasir Iqbal confirmed that the explosion occurred as the military-run school bus transported students through the outskirts of the city. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where ambulances transported the injured to nearby hospitals. Television footage showed the wreckage of the bus surrounded by debris.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, though suspicion has turned to Baloch separatist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which Pakistan accuses of backing from neighboring India — a claim India denies. The BLA has carried out several deadly attacks in the province and recently vowed further violence against military targets and affiliates.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the bombing, calling it a “barbaric” attack on innocent children. He vowed the perpetrators would face justice. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed the blame on India, labeling the bombing “proof of hostility toward education in Balochistan,” though he offered no evidence.
The military described the attack as “cowardly and ghastly,” accusing India of using proxies to destabilize the region. Sharif is expected to visit Quetta alongside military leadership to meet victims and receive a full briefing.
Balochistan, rich in natural resources but underdeveloped, is home to a separatist movement driven by claims of marginalization. While militant attacks are common, targeting schoolchildren remains rare. The incident evokes memories of Pakistan’s deadliest school attack in 2014, when Taliban gunmen killed 154 people at an army-run school in Peshawar.
Officials warn the death toll may rise, as several victims remain in critical condition.
