Car Bomb Blast Near Paramilitary Building In Pakistan's Balochistan Kills 4, Injures 20
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The car bomb exploded near a market in Qillah Abdullah, Balochistan, shops and a paramilitary building were damaged.
A car bomb exploded near a market in Pakistan's volatile southwest, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuring 20 others, a government official reported on Monday, as violence escalates in the region.
The attack took place on Sunday night in Qillah Abdullah, a city in Balochistan province near the Afghanistan border, stated Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Riaz.
The explosion caused damage to several shops and the outer wall of a building housing paramilitary forces, he added.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, ethnic Baloch separatists, who frequently target security forces and civilians in Balochistan and other parts of the country, are likely suspects.
An improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in a parked car in the Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan, less than 100 kilometres from the provincial capital Quetta.
'It appears the IED exploded before reaching its intended target," said a local security official, Ghulab Khan.
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'All those killed are civilian passersby," he mentioned.
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, condemned the bombing and stated that an investigation is underway.
The attack occurred days after four paramilitary officials were killed in the province.
Pakistan's military issued a statement saying that troops had killed three Baloch insurgents in two operations in Balochistan.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is the most active group in the region and frequently conducts deadly attacks against security forces, though the local chapter of the Islamic State group has also claimed recent attacks.
Pakistan has seen a significant increase in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Afghanistan of allowing its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan—a claim the Taliban denies.
In Balochistan, separatist violence has surged, including a March attack by ethnic Baloch militants on a train carrying 450 passengers, which led to a two-day siege and resulted in numerous fatalities.
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Over 241 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks by armed groups opposing the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since the beginning of the year, according to an AFP tally.
(with inputs from AP and AFP)
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First Published:
May 19, 2025, 23:13 IST
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