Bomb blast kills at least four, injures 32 in Turbat

QUETTA: At least four person were killed and 32 others sustained injuries following a bomb explosion in Balochistan's Turbat city on Saturday.

Police said that five wounded persons were in critical condition.

Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Serious Crime Wing Zohaib Mohsin was also injured in the blast, the police said. Six members of his family also sustained injuries in the explosion.

According to police, Mohsin and his family were passing through the area when the blast occurred.

A CCTV footage obtained by Geo News showed that several vehicles moving on the road and suddenly a huge flame covered a moving passenger bus following the explosion.

According to the security forces, banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

The sources said that the dead have been identified as Noor Khan, Abdul Wahab, Ijaz and Liaquat Ali. The four civilians martyred in the attack belonged to different areas of Balochistan.

As per the insiders, the attack proves that the banned organisation targets civilians for nefarious purposes. "The outlawed BLA has martyred more than 100 innocent Baloch civilians in a year," said the security sources. 

Last month, two people were killed and four others were injured in a blast in Dasht area in Turbat. The police had said the improvised explosive device (IED) blast also damaged a vehicle.

According to the Center for Research and Security Studies' Annual Security Report, Balochistan saw 782 deaths out of Pakistan's total of 2,546 fatalities in the year 2024.

It is pertinent to know that the increase in terrorist attacks coincides with the return of the Taliban government in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Condemnations

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the incident, expressing sorrow over the loss of lives in the explosion.

The head of state prayed for the speedy recovery of those who sustained injuries and vowed that operations will continue until the menace of terrorism is completely eradicated.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also offered his condolences over the blast and prayed for those who lost their lives. "Terrorists will not succeed in their nefarious aims," said the premier.

He added that government and security forces were actively working against terrorists, adding that they are determined to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan. 

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah strongly condemned the Turbat blast, terming the act as inhumane and despicable, according to a spokesperson for the top official.

The chief minister said that targeting innocent people is a cruel and barbaric act and reaffirmed that terrorists would never succeed in their malicious objectives.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori also condemned the blast in Turbat, saying terrorists are enemies of the lives of innocent citizens.