Quetta, Oct 1: At least 10 people were killed and 32 others injured after a powerful explosion rocked a busy street near the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Quetta, Balochistan, on Tuesday, local media reported.
Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar confirmed the fatalities and said all injured were rushed to Civil Hospital for urgent treatment. Police officials reported that eight bodies were brought to the hospital following the blast.
According to senior police officials, the explosion occurred when a vehicle turned from Model Town towards Hali Road, near the FC headquarters. Television and social media footage captured the moment the blast tore through the area, causing panic among residents.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident as a “terrorist attack” and stated that security forces responded immediately, neutralizing four assailants. “The terrorists cannot weaken the nation’s resolve through cowardly acts. The sacrifices of the people and security forces will not go in vain. An operation against the terrorists is underway,” he said, expressing solidarity with the families of the martyrs and praying for the recovery of the injured.
President Asif Ali Zardari termed the incident a “suicide attack” during remarks made later in Quetta.
The security situation in Balochistan has worsened in recent months amid ongoing operations by the Pakistan Army in the Tirah Valley, which resulted in the deaths of more than 20 civilians, including children. Separately, the Baloch Republican Party (BRM) has accused the Frontier Corps of backing an armed group called the “Death Squad” to forcibly occupy lands belonging to the late tribal leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.
Authorities continue to investigate the attack and have heightened security in Quetta to prevent further incidents.