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Gulf Today
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Car bomb kills 4 in Pakistan's southwest
A car bomb exploded near a market in Pakistan's restive southwest, killing four people and wounding 20 others, a government official said on Monday, as violence intensifies in the region. The attack occurred Sunday night in Qillah Abdullah, a city in Balochistan province bordering Afghanistan, said Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Riaz. The blast damaged several shops and the outer wall of a building housing paramilitary forces, he said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, suspicion is likely to fall on ethnic Baloch separatists, who frequently target security forces and civilians in Balochistan and other parts of the country. Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, condemned the bombing and said an investigation is underway. Balochistan has been the scene of a long-running insurgency, with an array of separatist groups staging attacks, including the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2019. Pakistan's military in a statement said troops killed three Baloch insurgents in a pair of operations in Balochistan, saying the men belonged to an Indian proxy group. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a separate statement praised security forces for killing the "Indian-backed terrorists." The military also said security forces faced off with insurgents belonging to the "Indian proxy' in multiple shootouts in the restive northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, killing nine militants. Two soldiers were also killed, it said in a statement. Pakistan often accuses its rival India of supporting the BLA and the Pakistani Taliban, two groups that have intensified attacks in Pakistan in recent months. In one of the deadliest such attacks in March, BLA insurgents killed 33 people, mostly soldiers, during an assault on a train carrying hundreds of passengers in Balochistan. In a rare move earlier this month, the BLA sought Indian support against Pakistan. Its appeal in a May 11 statement came amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, following Pakistan's strikes on Indian military installations in retaliation for Indian missile and drone attacks, raising fears of a broader conflict. The BLA denied Islamabad's allegations that it operates as an Indian proxy, saying: "If we receive political, diplomatic and defense support from the world - especially from India - the Baloch nation can eliminate this terrorist state and lay the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and independent Balochistan.' It assured New Delhi that its fighters, if backed, would open another front against Pakistan's military near Afghanistan, where the Pakistani Taliban has strongholds. India has not officially responded to the BLA's overture. Associated Press
News18
19-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Car Bomb Blast Near Paramilitary Building In Pakistan's Balochistan Kills 4, Injures 20
Last Updated: 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. advetisement '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. top videos View All 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) Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 19, 2025, 23:13 IST
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Car bomb in Pakistan's restive southwest kills four people
A car bomb that has exploded near a market in Pakistan's restive southwest has killed four people and wounded 20, according to a government official. The attack was near a market in Qillah Abdullah, a city in the province of Balochistan, Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Riaz said on Monday. The province bordering Afghanistan is plagued by violence mounted by separatist groups. The blast on Sunday night damaged several shops and the outer wall of a building housing paramilitary forces, the official said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing. A spokesperson for the Balochistan government condemned the attack and said an investigation is under way. Local security official Ghulab Khan told the AFP news agency that an improvised explosive device (IED) had been planted in a parked car, suggesting that the target was the paramilitary site but the attack was bungled. 'It seems the IED exploded before reaching its intended destination,' he said. 'All those killed are civilian passers-by.'Balochistan has long been plagued by violence with an array of separatist groups staging attacks, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which was designated as a 'terrorist organisation' by the United States in 2019. The local chapter of ISIL (ISIS) has also increased its activities in recent months. The attack in Qillah Abdullah came days after four paramilitary officials were killed in the province. Two weeks ago, seven army soldiers were killed when their vehicle was targeted by an IED. In March, BLA fighters killed 33 people, mostly soldiers, during an assault on a train carrying hundreds of passengers. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has accused its western neighbour of allowing its territory to be used to launch attacks, a claim the Taliban has denied. Pakistan has also often accused India of supporting the BLA and the Pakistani Taliban. In a rare move this month, the BLA sought Indian support against Pakistan. The appeal in a May 11 statement came amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours. 'If we receive political, diplomatic and defense support from the world – especially from India – the Baloch nation can eliminate this terrorist state and lay the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and independent Balochistan,' the BLA said. It assured New Delhi that its fighters, if backed, would open another front against Pakistan's military near Afghanistan, where the Pakistani Taliban has strongholds. So far, India has not officially responded to the overture.
Saudi Gazette
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Car bomb in Pakistan's Balochistan leaves four dead and 20 injured
ISLAMABAD — Four people died and at least 20 were injured when a car bomb exploded near a market in Pakistan late on Sunday, a senior official has said. The explosion hit the city of Qillah Abdullah in Balochistan province, close to the country's border with Afghanistan. It damaged several shops and the outer perimeter of a building housing paramilitary forces, according to Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Riaz. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on ethnic Baloch separatists, who have carried out numerous attacks on security forces and civilians in Balochistan and other areas of the country. Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind condemned the bombing and said an investigation had been launched. The province has long been the centre of a simmering insurgency waged by separatist groups seeking independence or greater them is the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a group banned in Pakistan and designated as a terrorist organisation by the US in authorities frequently accuse India of supporting both the BLA and the Pakistani Taliban — groups that have intensified their attacks in recent March, BLA militants killed 33 people, most of whom were soldiers, when they targeted a train in this month, the BLA publicly appealed for Indian a statement dated 11 May, the group urged New Delhi to provide it with 'political, diplomatic and defense support".The BLA rejected Islamabad's claims that it acts as an Indian proxy, but pledged that its fighters would open a new front near the Afghan border — where the Pakistani Taliban has strongholds — if India provided support. India has not formally responded to the overture, but the appeal comes at a moment of heightened tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors. — Euronews
Euronews
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Car bomb kills four in Pakistan
Four people died and at least 20 were injured when a car bomb exploded near a market in Pakistan late on Sunday, a senior official has said. The explosion hit the city of Qillah Abdullah in Balochistan province, close to the country's border with Afghanistan. It damaged several shops and the outer perimeter of a building housing paramilitary forces, according to Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Riaz. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on ethnic Baloch separatists, who have carried out numerous attacks on security forces and civilians in Balochistan and other areas of the country. Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind condemned the bombing and said an investigation had been launched. The province has long been the centre of a simmering insurgency waged by separatist groups seeking independence or greater autonomy. Among them is the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a group banned in Pakistan and designated as a terrorist organisation by the US in 2019. Pakistani authorities frequently accuse India of supporting both the BLA and the Pakistani Taliban — groups that have intensified their attacks in recent months. In March, BLA militants killed 33 people, most of whom were soldiers, when they targeted a train in Balochistan. Earlier this month, the BLA publicly appealed for Indian backing. In a statement dated 11 May, the group urged New Delhi to provide it with 'political, diplomatic and defence support". The BLA rejected Islamabad's claims that it acts as an Indian proxy, but pledged that its fighters would open a new front near the Afghan border — where the Pakistani Taliban has strongholds — if India provided support. India has not formally responded to the overture, but the appeal comes at a moment of heightened tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
