Blasts in Balochistan Kill 11 Amid Rising Militancy

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

At least 11 people were killed in two separate blasts in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, officials confirmed on Friday. The mineral-rich region, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, has witnessed a surge in militancy in recent months, prompting intensified counter-terrorism operations.

In one attack on Thursday, a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a convoy of paramilitary troops in Dasht, located near Pakistan’s southwestern border with Iran. Two local officials told AFP that five people, including three soldiers, were killed in the blast. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) later claimed responsibility.

Hours later, a second explosion struck near an Afghan border crossing in the province, killing six laborers, according to senior government official Imtiaz Ali Baloch.

Balochistan has long been plagued by separatist violence, with insurgent groups accusing the Pakistani state of exploiting the province’s natural resources while neglecting its people. Human rights organizations have also criticized the government’s sweeping security crackdown, alleging arbitrary detentions and abuses against locals.

The latest violence follows a deadly suicide bombing earlier this month in Quetta, the provincial capital, where 15 people were killed at a political rally in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

The twin blasts underscore the growing instability in Balochistan, where separatist and extremist groups continue to mount deadly attacks despite government efforts to restore security.