Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage has recently surfaced, revealing new details about the suicide bombing on June 24 in Turbat that targeted a convoy of high-ranking Pakistani military officials.
The footage shows the attacker, a woman, slowly approaching a convoy of Frontier Corps (FC) vehicles. After the first guard vehicle passes, she is seen pausing, allowing the second vehicle, reportedly carrying officers, to come within range before initiating the calculated explosion.
Meanwhile, the CCTV footage also captures a police convoy on the opposite side of the road. Eyewitness reports suggest a police vehicle inadvertently became a target during the indiscriminate firing from FC personnel following the explosion. Hospital reports confirmed these accounts, citing gunshot wounds on both deceased and injured police officials.
The attack, which took place in the afternoon of June 24 at Chakar Azam Chowk, targeted a convoy of Pakistani intelligence agencies. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an armed group fighting for the independence of Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The BLA named the attacker as Sumaiya Qalandrani Baloch, a member of the BLA’s Majeed Brigade. The statement also revealed that the 25-year-old Sumaiya Qalandrani was a journalist and had been part of the BLA’s media wing for five years. The BLA credited her with significantly strengthening and impacting their media wing.
The BLA spokesperson, Jeeyand Baloch, referred to her as a “brave female Fidayee” who had “successfully carried out a self-sacrificing attack on the enemy,” adding that she had “become a part of Baloch history.”
This incident marks the second time a female member of the BLA’s Majeed Brigade has carried out a self-sacrificing attack. Earlier, Shari Baloch targeted officials affiliated with the Confucius Institute at the main gate of Karachi University on April 26, 2022.