At least three police officers were killed and 16 others injured in a powerful roadside bomb blast targeting a police vehicle in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Tuesday, local authorities confirmed.
The attack occurred in the Mastung district, roughly 40 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Quetta. According to Raja Muhammad Akram, a senior local administration official, the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted along the roadside. The police bus was transporting approximately 40 personnel at the time of the attack.
“It was a roadside IED blast that resulted in the deaths of three policemen while wounding 16 others,” Akram told AFP.
The Balochistan provincial government spokesperson, Shahid Rind, also confirmed the fatalities and added that two of the injured officers are in critical condition, receiving treatment at nearby medical facilities.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, suspicions fall on separatist militant outfits active in the province, particularly the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has previously carried out numerous deadly attacks targeting state forces and infrastructure.
Balochistan, which borders both Afghanistan and Iran, has long been plagued by a low-level insurgency. Ethnic Baloch separatists have been fighting for greater autonomy and a larger share of the region’s natural resources. The area is rich in minerals but remains one of Pakistan’s most underdeveloped regions.
The province has witnessed a rise in violence in recent months. Just last month, armed militants believed to be from Baloch separatist factions attacked a passenger train carrying 450 people, leading to a two-day standoff with security forces. The incident resulted in the deaths of dozens of people.
According to an AFP tally, over 200 people — mostly security personnel — have been killed in similar attacks across both Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces since the beginning of 2025.
Security analysts link the resurgence in militancy to the evolving regional dynamics following the return to power of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. Last year was the deadliest in over a decade for Pakistan, marking a worrying trend of escalating militant activity.
The government has pledged to crack down on terrorist outfits and restore peace in Balochistan, but the continued attacks highlight the persistent challenges facing security forces in the region. Security has been tightened across Mastung and adjoining areas, and investigations into the blast are currently underway.
Authorities have not ruled out further attacks and have urged law enforcement agencies to remain on high alert.
