By Staff Reporter
QUETTA: An apparent suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near the headquarters of Frontier Corps in this provincial capital on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 32 others in an attack that triggered a fierce shootout with militants, officials said.
The blast, which ripped through a busy street on Quetta’s Haali Road, was followed by heavy gunfire as security forces clashed with assailants attempting to storm the building, witnesses and authorities said.
Four militants were killed in the exchange, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said in a statement, praising the “swift and effective response” of the forces.
Security officials described the attackers as “Indian-sponsored terrorists” dressed as Frontier Corps personnel. They said a terrorist drove the vehicle into the headquarters while five others tried to enter the premises. All six terrorists, including the suicide bomber, were killed as a result of the swift action by security forces.
At least two Frontier Corps personnel were injured, and a clearance operation was underway. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the assault, which sent a plume of smoke rising from the site and sparked panic in the area. Gunfire continued for more than 10 minutes, witnesses reported. Television and social media footage captured the moment when the powerful explosion tore through the street.
Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar confirmed the toll to local media. “Ten people have been killed, while thirty-two were injured in the blast. The injured have been taken to the Civil Hospital and Trauma Centre.”
Kakar added that many of the injured were in critical condition and being treated at the Trauma Center. An official later said that all the casualties were civilian, with the injured receiving medical aid.
In response to the emergency, the Balochistan Health Department imposed protocols at the Civil Hospital, Bolan Medical College Hospital and the Trauma Centre. “All consultants, doctors, pharmacists, staff nurses and paramedical staff have been directed to remain present in the hospitals,” Health Secretary Mujeebur Rehman said in a statement.
The attack unfolded as an explosive-laden vehicle took a turn from Model Town towards Haali Road, near the Frontier Constabulary headquarters, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Special Operations Quetta Muhammad Baloch.
Bugti condemned the bombing as a “cowardly act” and a “terrorist attack,” reaffirming his government’s commitment to making the province peaceful and secure. “All the terrorists were eliminated in a timely operation,” he said. “The terrorists cannot weaken the nation’s resolve through cowardly acts. The sacrifices of the people and security forces will not go in vain.”
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the incident, attributing it to “India-backed terrorists” and “Fitna-al-Khawarij,” a term authorities use for militants linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. “The elements serving the interests of Fitna-al-Khawarij and India cannot undermine Pakistan’s peace and stability,” a statement from the President’s Secretariat said.
Zardari commended the security forces for their “timely and effective action, which foiled the malicious designs of the terrorists.” He prayed for the swift recovery of the injured Frontier Corps personnel and lauded the courage and resolve of the country’s security forces in defending the motherland.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the forces for eliminating the terrorists involved in the attack and prayed for the quick recovery of security personnel wounded in the incident. Vowing to ensure exemplary punishment to the elements trying to harm the integrity of Pakistan, the premier reaffirmed the resolve to eradicate terrorism from the country.
Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, holds strategic importance for its vast mineral wealth and as a key transit hub for the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. But the province has long been plagued by separatist violence, with groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army intensifying attacks in recent years.
Separatist militants accuse Pakistan of depriving locals of a fair share in the province’s natural resources, allegations that Islamabad denies. Security forces, civilians and non-local workers are frequently targeted by such groups, though authorities have mainly relied on intelligence-based operations rather than launching a full-scale military campaign.
The province has seen a string of high-profile attacks since the beginning of the year. In March, the Baloch Liberation Army hijacked a passenger train, and in May, a suicide bombing in Khuzdar killed several children after targeting their school bus.
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