A suicide car bomber struck a school bus in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least four children and injuring dozens more people.
The attack took place in the Balochistan province. While no group immediately claimed responsibility, Balochistan has been the scene of a long-running insurgency, with an array of separatist groups staging attacks.
A local deputy commissioner, Yasir Iqbal, said the latest attack took place in the district of Khuzdar as the bus was transporting children to a military-run school in the city.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the children’s deaths.
He called the perpetrators “beasts” who deserve no leniency, saying the enemy had committed an act of “sheer barbarism by targeting innocent children.”
Officials said they fear that the death toll may rise further as several children were listed in critical condition.
The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2019, often claims such attacks.
It claimed the March 2025 hijacking of a train in which hundreds of hostages were taken and 33 people were killed, mostly soldiers.
Most of such attacks in the province are claimed by BLA, which Pakistan says enjoyed the backing of neighboring India—a claim that New Delhi denies.
India has accused Pakistan of aiding terror groups, including those responsible for the Pahalgam attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir that sparked the recent conflict between the two nuclear powers.
Earlier this week, the BLA vowed more attacks on the “Pakistani army and its collaborators” and says its goal is to “lay the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and independent Balochistan.”
This is a breaking news story and more information will be added soon.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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