A tragic incident unfolded in Balochistan’s Kalat district when unidentified gunmen ambushed a passenger bus traveling from Karachi to Quetta, resulting in the deaths of at least three passengers and injuring between twelve to twenty others.
The attack occurred in the Nemargh area, a location along the vital N-25 highway. According to Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the Balochistan government, the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately on the coach, causing immediate fatalities and multiple injuries.
Rescue teams responded swiftly—shipping the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kalat, where an emergency was declared. As some of the victims were in critical condition, several were later transferred to the Civil Hospital Quetta for advanced medical care.
Conflicting reports emerged concerning the number of injured, with some officials and the Edhi Foundation rescue service stating the figure had risen to ten or even eleven, as details continued to evolve through the day.
Security forces coordinated with the district administration and emergency rescue teams, rushing to the crime scene quickly after the attack. The area was cordoned off, and a search operation was initiated to apprehend the attackers. Preliminary information indicated that the terrorists had lain in ambush, targeting the bus with gunfire from both sides of the road. The exact number of attackers remained unconfirmed as investigations and ground operations continued.
Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti ordered a comprehensive report from police and other law enforcement agencies, reflecting the seriousness with which the provincial government viewed the incident. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari issued a strong condemnation of the attack, directing authorities to ensure the best available medical treatment for the victims and vowing that the state would act decisively to eliminate terrorism. He described the act as cruel and against humanity, emphasizing that such attacks aimed to undermine national stability.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting. The background to this latest attack is an escalation in violence in Balochistan, with local and international observers noting a marked increase in militant activity targeting both civilians and security forces, particularly along major highways and in public transport.
In a separate but related incident on the same day, a roadside bomb blast in Quetta’s Hazar Ganji area injured three women. According to Shalkot Police Station House Officer Khair Muhammad Samalani, the explosion resulted from a bomb planted on a motorcycle and detonated remotely near Murree Camp.
Security agencies and bomb disposal teams rushed to the location, launched area searches to ensure no additional threats remained, and transported the injured to the Civil Hospital Quetta, where they were reported to be out of danger. As with the bus attack, no group claimed responsibility for the bombing in Quetta.
The confluence of these violent incidents highlights the persistent instability in Balochistan and the ongoing risks faced by ordinary citizens in the region. With security forces intensifying operations to apprehend the perpetrators, the attacks drew strong condemnations from top political leadership and brought renewed urgency to Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts.