A suicide bomber killed nine police officers and wounded 16 others on Monday in an attack on their truck in Dhadar, southwestern Pakistan, officials say.
A suicide bomber killed nine police officers and wounded 16 others on Monday in an attack on their truck in Dhadar, southwestern Pakistan, officials say. “The suicide bomber was riding a motorbike and hit the truck from behind,”.
At least nine security personnel were killed and 13 others injured in a suicide attack on their vehicle in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Monday, police said, in the latest terror attack in the country.
The blast near the truck of the Balochistan Constabulary personnel occurred on the Kambri bridge on the Quetta-Sibi highway, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Kachhi, Mehmood Notezai, said that the preliminary evidence suggests it was a suicide attack.
However, the exact nature of the blast could be ascertained after investigations.
He said that a bomb disposal team reached the site of the incident and the area is being searched after the explosion.
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
As soon as the incident was reported, local administration and security forces reached the spot.
The Balochistan Constabulary (BC) personnel were returning from duty in Sibi Mela when they were targeted. The truck overturned due to the intensity of the explosion, the report said.
The bodies and injured personnel were shifted to the Sibi district where they were provided medical aid. The condition of some of the injured is reportedly critical.
The BC is a department of the provincial police force that provides security at important events and in sensitive areas, including jails.
The blast comes on the heels of attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and areas bordering Afghanistan.
Since the talks with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November last year, the militant group has intensified its attacks while insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalized a nexus with it.
The Balochistan province has experienced a surge in violent incidents in recent months, including bombings and targeted attacks, leading to heightened security measures and public safety concerns.
On February 26, 4 people were killed, and 14 injured in an IED blast at a market in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo has condemned the attack and expressed grief at the number of casualties.
He said terrorist elements wanted to accomplish their wicked aims through cowardly actions, adding that they were conspiring to keep Balochistan under-developed by creating unrest and instability in the province.
Recent suicide bombings have been linked to Baloch pushback against the China-Pakistan corridor but also spotlight the bigger struggle for Balochistan’s freedom.
January Attack
In January 2023, a suicide bombing in a mosque in Pakistan’s Peshawar killed 32, and injured 147 people. Peshwar, which sits at the edge of Pakistan’s tribal districts bordering Afghanistan, is frequently targeted by militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban.