A powerful car bomb exploded outside the headquarters of Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Constabulary in Quetta on Tuesday, killing at least eight people and wounding several others in one of the deadliest recent attacks in the insurgency-hit province of Balochistan.
Police said four assailants exited the vehicle before detonating it and opened fire on security forces, sparking an intense gun battle. Security personnel returned fire, killing all four attackers in the exchange.
Residents reported that the blast was so strong it was heard miles away. Ambulances rushed to the scene to evacuate the wounded to hospitals as rescuers combed through debris and shattered glass in the city’s center. Windows of surrounding buildings were blown out, and nearby cars were mangled by the force of the explosion, according to witnesses and CCTV footage broadcast on local television.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the bombing, praising the quick response of security forces. “Terrorists cannot break the nation’s resolve through cowardly acts, and the sacrifices of our people and security forces will not go in vain,” he said in a statement. Bugti added that his government remained committed to restoring peace and security in the province.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, though suspicion is likely to fall on separatist organizations such as the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which has waged a long-running insurgency in Balochistan. The province, where Quetta serves as the capital, has frequently seen militants target civilians and security installations in their campaign for independence from Pakistan’s central government.
Provincial health minister Bakhat Kakar warned that the death toll could rise, given the severity of injuries among those hospitalized.
The latest attack comes just weeks after a suicide bomber struck near a Quetta stadium, killing 13 and wounding 30 as supporters left a nationalist party rally. Analysts say the repeated attacks underscore the fragile security situation in the province despite ongoing counterinsurgency efforts.
