The Kalat bus attack claimed at least three lives and injured seven.
In Balochistan’s Kalat district, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus, killing at least three people and wounding six more.
Early on Wednesday morning, the bus, which was en route from Karachi to Quetta, was attacked.
Initial reports state that two of the injured were taken to a nearby hospital and are still in critical condition. At DHQ Kalat, an emergency has been declared.
The Balochistani government’s spokesperson, Shahid Rind, verified the terror incident. Rescue personnel, security personnel, and the promptiv administration have arrived at the location.
Additionally, medical personnel raced to the scene and took the injured to the district hospital.
As of yet, no group has taken credit for the attack.
Law enforcement agencies are conducting a search operation in the surrounding areas. As the situation progresses, more updates are anticipated.
Condemnations
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the attack and expressed grief over the loss of innocent lives. He extended condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed his profound sadness over the loss of innocent lives in what he called a cowardly terrorist attack by “Fitna-e-Hindustan,” a term the government uses to refer to militants supported by India that operate in Balochistan, in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The prime minister offered prayers for the martyrs and wished a swift recovery for the injured. He promised a forceful response and instructed authorities to give the injured medical attention right away.
“The terrorists who targeted innocent and unarmed civilians will pay a very heavy price,” he said. “The government and security forces are fully determined to eradicate terrorism from the country.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and described the targeting of innocent passengers as a “cowardly act.” He said such attacks are part of a wider conspiracy to destabilise the country, adding, “With the nation’s support, we will foil the plots of these Indian-sponsored terrorists.”
Balochistan Chief Minister condemned the attack. In a post on X, “The attack on the passenger coach in Kalat is a cowardly and despicable act of terrorism. The loss of precious lives is an irreparable tragedy. The terrorist organisations of Fitna-Al-Hindustan have previously carried out attacks based on identity, but now they are indiscriminately targeting civilians, which clearly shows that this war is against every ordinary Pakistani, and we will defeat it at all costs!.”
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called the attack “barbaric,” stressing that such elements must be eliminated to ensure peace and progress.
PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman said targeting innocent and defenceless civilians was a “heinous act”.
The incident follows the abduction and killing of at least nine passengers by unidentified armed men last week, as they traveled on two Punjab-bound coaches through the Sur-Dakai area, located on the border of Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts.
According to the government, the group Fitna-al-Hindustan was behind coordinated attacks at three locations: Kakat, Mastung, and Sur-Dakai.
The banned Balochistan Liberation Front later claimed responsibility for the killings. A spokesperson for the group stated they executed the nine victims after blocking the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri.
