Three people, including a child, were injured in a reported drone strike in the Khadkocha area of Mastung district on Sunday, according to local sources.
The injured were transferred to Nawab Ghaus Bakhsh Raisani Hospital for medical treatment following the incident.
Sources said the strike occurred in the Garro area of Khadkocha, where residents reported an explosion. The incident reportedly caused alarm among local communities already affected by ongoing military operations and movement restrictions in the region.
No official statement regarding the incident had been issued at the time of publication, and authorities have not released details about the target, circumstances or nature of the reported strike.
The latest incident comes amid heightened tensions in Mastung, particularly in Khadkocha and surrounding areas, where military operations, curfews and restrictions on movement have been reported in recent months.
In recent weeks, local residents and rights groups have raised concerns over the humanitarian impact of ongoing “security measures” in the region. Reports of aerial and drone strikes have also emerged from different parts of Mastung, including incidents in which civilians were reportedly killed or injured.
Last month, four farm workers were reportedly killed and three others injured in a drone strike in Mastung. Local residents alleged that those affected were civilians engaged in agricultural work, while authorities did not publicly provide details regarding the incident.
The reported drone strike also comes amid a broader security situation in Mastung, where attacks targeting Pakistani forces and government installations have increased in recent months. Armed attacks on military personnel, checkpoints and infrastructure have been claimed by Baloch nationalist armed groups, mainly the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) operating in the region.
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In response, Pakistani authorities have announced expanded security operations and temporary evacuations in several areas of Mastung and neighbouring districts. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti recently stated in the Balochistan Assembly that military operations would continue in areas considered militant strongholds and defended controversial proposals regarding the removal of orchards allegedly used as cover by armed groups.
The government’s security measures, including planned relocations of residents and proposals affecting agricultural land, have drawn criticism from Baloch political leaders, rights activists and local residents, who argue that such policies could lead to displacement, economic hardship and environmental damage.
Meanwhile, concerns have also grown following the recent recovery of six unidentified bodies from separate locations along the Quetta–Karachi Highway near Mastung. Human rights organisations and local advocacy groups have continued to raise allegations of enforced disappearances and so-called “kill and dump” cases in the region, allegations that Pakistani authorities have consistently denied.
The circumstances surrounding Sunday’s reported drone strike remain unclear, and no group or authority had commented on the incident at the time of publication.