A passenger bus traveling from Khuzdar Cantt to Rawalpindi was struck by a powerful explosion near Khori, roughly 25 kilometers from Khuzdar City, on Sunday, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
Sources told The Balochistan Post the vehicle was carrying Pakistan Army and Intelligence personnel, including two members of Military Intelligence, identified as Naik Shiraz and System Operator Ahmed Raza, who were reportedly among the dead.
Khuzdar Deputy Commissioner Yasir Dashti said that the blast was caused by an Alto car rigged with explosives and parked near the road on the M-8 Highway.
He added that the device detonated as the bus passed, destroying the car and severely damaging the bus. The explosion resulted in several casualties, including the bus conductor, who is reportedly in critical condition.
A Levies force official told Arab News that Pakistani soldiers were among the injured but did not specify how many. The injured were taken to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital and Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Khuzdar.
A heavy contingent of Frontier Corps (FC), police, and Levies arrived to secure the area, launching an investigation into what authorities believe was an improvised explosive device (IED) attack.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility, although the region has seen a surge in armed attacks in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, a bus bombing in Turbat reportedly killed 47 security personnel and injured over 30. In another incident, more than 70 armed individuals seized government facilities in Khuzdar’s Zehri area for over 10 hours before setting them ablaze.
Both attacks were claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which described the Zehri operation as part of preparations for the second phase of “Operation Herof,” a broader campaign the group claims is aimed at reclaiming control over Balochistan.