Bomb Blast Targets School Bus in Pakistan, Killing Five
According to police, the explosion occurred around 7:40 a.m. local time near the remote town of Khuzdar. The bus was carrying approximately 40 schoolchildren when the device detonated. Images shared on social media show the scorched remains of the bus, with schoolbags and personal items scattered around the site.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but the region has long been a center of separatist violence, political unrest, and human rights controversies.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the bombing, describing it as 'sheer barbarism' and calling the perpetrators 'beasts who target children.' He said the act was intended to destabilize the country and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
Pakistan's military accused India and its alleged proxies in the area of being behind the attack—though no public evidence has been provided to support the claim. The accusations come amid rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, following a two-week-long conflict sparked by an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. India responded with military strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, escalating fears of broader conflict.
Violence in the southwest has been intensifying. Earlier in March, at least 25 people, including 21 civilians and 4 military personnel, were killed in a train station siege in a remote district. That attack was claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan, the UK, and the United States. Pakistan has previously accused the BLA of being backed by India—a claim the group denies.
Human rights organizations and local activists have repeatedly accused Pakistan's security forces of committing abuses in the region, including the forced disappearance of thousands of people over the past two decades.
The bombing of a school bus has once again drawn attention to the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis in Pakistan's southwest, with children and civilians caught in the crossfire of a complex and deadly conflict.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
3 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Trump adds 25% tariff on India over Russian oil purchases
US President Donald Trump yesterday ordered an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow's war in Ukraine. The tariff, set to take effect in three weeks, comes on top of a separate 25 percent duty entering into force on Thursday, according to the text of the executive order released by the White House. The order also threatens potential penalties on other countries deemed to be 'directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil.' Exemptions remain for items targeted by separate sector-specific duties such as steel and aluminum, and categories that could be hit like pharmaceuticals. Trump has been ramping up pressure on India after signalling fresh sanc- tions on Moscow if it did not make progress by Friday towards a peace deal with Kyiv, as Russia 's devastating invasion of its pro-western neighbor drags on. India's national security adviser was in Moscow on Wednesday, media in New Delhi reported, coinciding with a visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff. India's foreign ministry earlier said US pressure to stop it buying Russian oil was 'unjustified and unreasonable' and that it would protect its interests.
Gulf Insider
a day ago
- Gulf Insider
Camera Job Scam
A freelance photography job that appeared legitimate turned into a costly deception for three Qatar-based professionals after they were flown to Bahrain and robbed of their camera gear. The fraud has raised alarm over job scams circulating in social media groups targeting creative workers in the Gulf. The victim, a photographer residing in Qatar and hailing from Kalikavu in Malappuram district of the southern Indian state of Kerala, responded to a poster shared in a Qatar-based WhatsApp group. It advertised freelance photography work across GCC countries and included a Saudi contact number. He was told the assignment was with a UK-based company and would take place in Bahrain. Due to 'visa sensitivities,' details were withheld until after arrival. After expressing interest, he received a flight ticket and travelled to Bahrain on Saturday. Well-planned setup At the airport, he was received by an Asian man who escorted him to a hotel apartment in Juffair. The man claimed there was no work that day and held on to a spare key to the room. Later, he took the victim out for dinner and said the project would start the following day. On Sunday, a taxi picked up the victim and dropped him at a beach resort in Jaw. He was asked to wait in the lobby for two hours, then told to proceed to a star hotel. After a long wait with no client in sight, the victim returned to his room to find it ransacked. His Sony camera, charger, memory cards, and other gear worth around BD1,300 were missing. Pattern of theft When he reported the incident to hotel staff, they revealed that similar cases had occurred in other rooms. At the Nabih Saleh Police Station, he met two other Qatar residents who had been targeted in the same manner. Together, the three lost equipment valued at nearly BD 15,000. The Asian man had booked the room under his own name and submitted valid passport details, but police found that he had boarded a flight to Pakistan the previous afternoon. A forensic team inspected the apartment and the investigation is ongoing. The case has drawn attention to the risks faced by freelance professionals in the Gulf who often operate without contracts or formal safeguards. With platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram now being used for informal recruitment, job scams have become harder to detect. Authorities have urged job seekers to verify credentials before accepting overseas assignments, especially those that require no paperwork or rely on vague instructions. The victims returned to Qatar yesterday. Also read: Bahrain: Two Killed, Three Injured In Hafira Crash Involving Illegal Overtaking
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Trump signals tariffs on pharma, chips
US President Donald Trump signaled Tuesday that fresh tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductors could be unveiled as soon as the coming week, as he presses on in efforts to reshape global trade. Trump's latest comments, in an interview on CNBC, come days before a separate set of tariff hikes takes effect on dozens of economies later this week. The sweeping tariff plans have sparked a flurry of activity as governments seek to avert the worst of his threats -- with Switzerland's leaders heading to Washington on Tuesday in a last-minute push to avoid punitive duties. But he appears set to widen his trade war s further. The US president told CNBC that upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals could reach 250 percent, while adding that he plans for new duties on foreign semiconductors soon. "We'll be putting (an) initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it's going to go to 150 percent," Trump said. "And then it's going to go to 250 percent because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country." Trump also said that Washington will be announcing tariffs "within the next week or so." He added: "We're going to be announcing on semiconductors and chips." Concern for US economy Trump has taken aim at products from different countries with varying tariff rates after imposing a 10-percent levy on almost all trading partners in April -- with excluded products targeted by sector. While Swiss leaders are seeking to stave off a US tariff hike to 39 percent come Thursday -- which excludes sectors like pharma -- Trump's plans for a steep pharma levy will likely be a point of contention in any talks. Pharmaceuticals represented 60 percent of Swiss goods exports to the United States last year. Besides probing pharmaceuticals and chips imports, Trump has already imposed steep duties of 50 percent on imports of steel and aluminum, alongside lower levels on autos and parts. In the same CNBC interview, Trump said he expects to raise the US tariff on Indian imports "very substantially over the next 24 hours" due to the country's purchases of Russian oil. This is a key revenue source for Moscow's military offensive on Ukraine. His pressure on India comes after signaling fresh sanctions on Moscow if it did not make progress by Friday towards a peace deal with Kyiv, more than three years since Russia's invasion. Moscow is anticipating talks this week with the US leader's special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the Kremlin has criticized Trump's threat of raising tariffs.
