A school bus explosion in Khuzdar, Balochistan, on Wednesday left five people dead, including three schoolgirls, and over 40 others injured. Pakistan has accused India of being behind the deadly attack, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
According to Balochistan’s Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, the bus was transporting students to a military-run school when it was targeted. The victims included girls in grades 6, 7, and 10, and several of the wounded remain in critical condition.
Bugti said intelligence had warned of Indian involvement in planned disruptions in the region. “We had reports that Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was plotting something in Balochistan, but no one imagined they would go this far,” he stated.
Pakistan’s military described the attack as “cowardly” and “Indian-sponsored,” vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. “The planners, abettors and executors of this Indian-sponsored attack will be hunted down,” said a statement from the army.
While the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, saying it was targeting soldiers, Islamabad insists the group is backed by India to destabilise the country. The BLA has been fighting for the independence of Balochistan, a province that borders Afghanistan and Iran and is critical to major Chinese investments and trade routes.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to visit the province to assess the situation and meet with security officials.
This attack comes shortly after both countries exchanged drone and missile strikes earlier in the month, before agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10. However, relations remain tense, with both sides accusing each other of sponsoring cross-border terrorism.
