A car bomb detonated outside the Frontier Constabulary headquarters in Quetta, Balochistan, following initial gunfire from militants; the explosion was heard miles away.
At least eight people killed and several (possibly up to 19) injured; emergency services rushed victims to hospitals, with fears of a rising death toll.
No immediate claim of responsibility, but Baloch separatist groups like the BLA are suspected amid ongoing insurgency in the province.
A car bomb explosion outside the Frontier Constabulary (FC) headquarters in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, claimed at least eight lives and left several others wounded on Tuesday morning. The powerful blast, which reverberated across the city and was audible from miles away, marked yet another violent escalation in the region's long-standing insurgency.
Initial reports indicate that armed assailants may have opened fire on security personnel before detonating the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), though details remain unconfirmed. Rescue teams, including ambulances and medical personnel, swiftly responded, ferrying the injured to nearby hospitals where an emergency was declared.
Provincial Health Minister Bakhat Kakar confirmed the casualties in a statement, noting that "there were concerns the death toll could rise further" as victims succumbed to their injuries. While official figures stand at eight dead and several wounded, unverified social media reports and local accounts suggest the number of injured could be as high as 19 or more, with some posts claiming up to 10 fatalities and 30 injuries. Security forces reportedly neutralized the attackers in the ensuing firefight, preventing further incursions into the headquarters.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but fingers are pointing toward Baloch separatist outfits, particularly the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has a history of targeting military and paramilitary installations to press for greater autonomy or independence for the resource-rich but underdeveloped province. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by area, has been a hotspot for low-level insurgency for decades, fueled by grievances over economic marginalization, forced disappearances, and exploitation of natural gas and mineral resources. The BLA and similar factions have carried out numerous bombings and ambushes in recent years, including high-profile assaults on Chinese-linked projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
