Three killed, seven wounded as gunmen attack passenger bus in southwest Pakistan

Gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, killing three people and injuring seven others, officials said Wednesday.

The attack took place in Kalat district as the bus travelled from Karachi to Quetta, according to Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government.

“Three passengers were martyred and seven were injured in the tragic incident,” Rind said in a statement.

He said the injured were being treated at the District Headquarters Hospital in Kalat, where an emergency was declared. Two of the wounded are in critical condition, police said.

Law enforcement personnel and rescue teams reached the scene soon after the shooting. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

SHO Kalat Habibullah told local media the attack happened as the coach neared a checkpoint. Buses on this route usually carry 40 to 50 passengers, but the exact number on board was unclear.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the killing of innocent civilians. He prayed for the victims and offered condolences to the bereaved families. He also directed authorities to ensure immediate medical treatment for the injured.

“Terrorists who harm innocent and unarmed civilians will have to pay a heavy price,” Sharif said.

He added that the government and security forces remain determined to eradicate terrorism from the country.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the assault. In a statement, he accused what he called Fitna-Al-Hindustan — a term Pakistani authorities use for India-backed militants in Balochistan — of being behind the violence.

“The targeting of innocent passengers by Fitna-Al-Hindustan terrorists is a very cowardly act,” Naqvi said. “These terrorists are hatching a heinous conspiracy to sabotage peace by targeting soft targets. With the support of the nation, we will foil these conspiracies by Indian-sponsored terrorists.”

Sindh province’s Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also denounced the attack.

“Targeting innocent passengers is a very barbaric act. Terrorists are a plague on the nation’s soil,” he said, adding that such elements must be eliminated for the country’s future prosperity.

The shooting follows another recent attack in Balochistan where nine passengers were abducted and killed while travelling on two coaches in the Sur-Dakai area near the Zhob-Loralai border.

New Delhi has consistently rejected Pakistan’s accusations, denying any support for separatists in Balochistan.

Armed groups in the province have previously stopped buses and killed passengers after identifying them as ethnic Punjabis.

The Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, which Pakistan considers a terrorist organization, has claimed responsibility for such attacks in the past.

Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and has long been home to a low-level insurgency. Ethnic Baloch militants accuse Pakistan’s federal government of exploiting the province’s natural resources to benefit other parts of the country, especially Punjab.

Despite heavy military operations, attacks against civilians and security forces continue. The region remains volatile.