From Our Correspondent, News Desk:
Khuzdar, May 21 – A devastating bombing targeting a school bus in Khuzdar has killed at least five children and injured several others, in what security officials are calling a cowardly act of terror. The blast occurred early Tuesday morning near Zero Point, close to Rakhshan Hotel, as the bus was transporting students to a school located in the military cantonment area.
Deputy Commissioner Khuzdar Yasir Iqbal Dashti confirmed to reporters that the bus was en route after picking up children from various neighborhoods. Citing a report from the Bomb Disposal Squad, police officials said the attack was carried out using a vehicle loaded with over 30 kilograms of explosives, which the suicide attacker rammed into the bus.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has strongly condemned the attack, attributing the act to India-backed proxies. In a statement, ISPR said, “After the failure of Operation Bunyad Mersous and in response to relentless pressure from security forces, India is now using terrorist proxies to target soft civilian and child-centered targets in Pakistan.”
ISPR further stated that “India’s use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy is a despicable and inhumane act. The perpetrators, facilitators, and masterminds of this cowardly India-sponsored attack will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.” The military vowed to expose India’s malicious agenda to the international community.
Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene with school bags, children’s shoes, and clothing scattered across the blast site. The bus was completely charred due to the intensity of the explosion.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Army, Frontier Corps, and police, quickly secured the area. Bodies and the injured were rushed to Khuzdar Teaching Hospital and CMH. SHO Bahawal Khan of Khuzdar City Police Station said four injured children were taken to the trauma center, while others were moved by security personnel to CMH.
Khuzdar, located nearly 300 kilometers from Quetta in central Balochistan, has seen repeated militant attacks over the years, particularly from Baloch insurgent groups.
