QUETTA: At least five people were killed and 29 others injured in an explosion on Quetta’s Sariab Road Tuesday night, a Civil Hospital spokesperson confirmed.
The blast, which occurred near Shahwani Stadium, was “apparently a suicide attack,” according to a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) spokesperson, who said evidence is being collected from the scene.
The attack comes as Pakistan faces a surge in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan since 2021. A recent report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) recorded 78 terrorist incidents in June alone, claiming 100 lives, including 53 security personnel and 39 civilians, while injuring 189 people.
Overall, violence and counter-operations during the month left 175 dead, among them 77 militants, 55 security personnel, 41 civilians, and two peace committee members.
Security forces have stepped up operations, including targeted actions in Bajaur, while earlier this month, troops killed 47 militants allegedly backed by India who attempted to infiltrate from Afghanistan through Balochistan’s Zhob district.
