A deadly car bomb tore through the front of Pakistan’s paramilitary headquarters in Quetta on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 30 in one of the deadliest attacks in recent months.
Police said the attack began when six militants drove up to the Frontier Constabulary compound and stepped out of their vehicle, opening fire on security personnel before detonating the explosives. All six attackers were shot dead in the ensuing gun battle.
The massive blast shook the southwestern city, with residents reporting windows shattering miles away. Local television and CCTV footage showed a car stopping outside the compound gate, followed by a violent explosion and gunfire. Surrounding buildings and cars were badly damaged, and ambulances ferried victims to nearby hospitals.
Most of the casualties were civilians, authorities confirmed. “The death toll could rise further,” warned provincial health minister Bakhat Kakar. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the swift response of security forces who eliminated the gunmen.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing, while Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti vowed the province would not be cowed by violence. “Terrorists cannot break the nation’s resolve through cowardly acts,” Bugti said, adding that sacrifices made by civilians and security forces would not be in vain.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on Baloch separatists who have waged a decades-long insurgency in the resource-rich province. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army and other militant groups frequently target security forces and civilians in the region.
The attack comes just weeks after a suicide bombing outside a Quetta stadium killed 13 people, underscoring the province’s fragile security situation and the continued threat of militant violence.