QUETTA, Pakistan: At least three passengers were killed and seven others injured when armed militants opened fire on a passenger bus in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Wednesday, the provincial government’s spokesperson said.
The attack occurred in the Neemargh area of Kalat district as the bus was travelling from Karachi to Quetta, according to Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the Balochistan government.
“Three passengers were martyred and seven were injured in the tragic incident,” Rind said in a statement.
He added that the injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kalat, where two were reported to be in critical condition.
قلات کے علاقے نمرغ میں کراچی سے کوئٹہ آنے والی مسافر کوچ پر فائرنگ کا افسوسناک واقعہ رونما ہوا ہے، ترجمان حکومت بلوچستان شاہد رند۔
ترجمان حکومت بلوچستان نے کہا کہ سیکیورٹی ادارے، ضلعی انتظامیہ اور ریسکیو ٹیمیں فوری طور پر جائے وقوعہ پر پہنچ چکی ہیں۔ زخمیوں کو ڈی ایچ کیو ہسپتال…
— Govt. of Balochistan (@dpr_gob) July 16, 2025
The attackers reportedly ambushed the vehicle from both sides of the road, forcing it to veer off its path.
Videos shared on social media showed the aftermath of the assault, with emergency responders assisting wounded passengers and transporting them to the hospital.
Security forces, along with rescue teams and local administration officials, reached the scene shortly after the attack.
The area was cordoned off and a search operation was launched to track down the perpetrators.
“Security forces have surrounded the area, and a search operation is underway. The attackers are being pursued,” Rind said.
Speaking to Geo News, Rind said the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti, had taken notice of the incident and ordered a report from law enforcement agencies.
“Based on initial information, terrorists were lying in wait and stopped the bus before launching the attack. The exact number of assailants is not yet known,” he added.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the assault, blaming the incident on “Fitna-Al-Hindustan,” a term used by Pakistani authorities to describe Indian-backed terrorist groups operating in Balochistan.
“The targeting of innocent passengers is a cowardly act. These terrorists are conspiring to sabotage peace by attacking soft targets,” Naqvi said in a statement.
Chief Minister Bugti described the assault as “despicable” and “an irreparable tragedy.” He said terrorist groups previously targeted individuals based on ethnic identity, but were now attacking civilians indiscriminately.
“This war is against every ordinary Pakistani, and we will defeat it at all costs,” Bugti wrote on social media platform X.
قلات میں مسافر کوچ پر حملہ ایک بزدلانہ اور قابلِ نفرت دہشتگردی ہے۔ قیمتی جانوں کا ضیاع ناقابلِ تلافی نقصان ہے۔ فتنہ الہند کی دہشتگرد تنظیمیں پہلے شناخت کی بنیاد پر حملوں کا تاثر دیتی رہیں، اب اندھا دھند شہریوں کو نشانہ بنا رہی ہیں جس سے صاف ظاہر ہوتا ہے یہ جنگ ہر عام پاکستانی کے…
— Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) July 16, 2025
Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq called the attack “the worst example of enmity against humanity”.
اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی سردار ایاز صادق کی قلات کے قریب بس پر دہشتگرد حملے کی شدید مذمت
اسپیکر سردار ایاز صادق کا حملے کے نتیجے میں بے گناہ مسافروں کے جانی نقصان پر گہرے دکھ اور افسوس کا اظہار۔
اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی کا شہداء کے لواحقین سے دلی ہمدردی و تعزیت کا اظہار
اسپیکر قومی…
— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) July 16, 2025
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the targeting of innocent passengers was a “barbaric act.”
Senator Sherry Rehman, Vice President of the Pakistan People’s Party, urged the state to take decisive action, stating, “The government must bring terrorists and their facilitators to justice and deliver exemplary punishment.”
*نائب صدر پیپلزپارٹی سینیٹر شیری رحمان کی قلات میں مسافر کوچ پر بزدلانہ حملے کی شدید الفاظ میں مذمت*
معصوم اور بے گناہ شہریوں کو نشانہ بنانا گھناؤنا فعل ہے ،حملے میں تین افراد کے جاں بحق ہونے پر افسوس ہے، شیری رحمان
*دوبارہ سر اٹھاتی دہشتگردی کی اس لہر کو جڑ سے اکھاڑ پھینکنے…
— Pakistan Peoples Party – PPP (@PPP_Org) July 16, 2025
The incident follows a similar attack last week, when nine passengers were killed by Indian-backed terrorists in the Sur-Dakai area near the border of Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts, officials said.
According to officials, the Indian-backed terrorists intercepted two Punjab-bound coaches, checked passengers’ identity cards, and selectively killed those belonging to Punjab province.
The Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned separatist outfit, later claimed responsibility.
Government officials have linked these incidents to a coordinated campaign by “Fitna-Al-Hindustan,” accusing Indian-backed groups of conducting attacks in various parts of Balochistan, including Kakat, Mastung, and Sur-Dakai.
