Children killed in school bus bombing in Pakistan’s Balochistan province

Pakistan accuses India of sponsoring deadly attack through proxies amid rising cross-border tensions and insurgency fears

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (MNTV) — A deadly explosion targeting a school bus in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province killed five people, including three children, and injured several others on Wednesday, in what authorities are calling a deliberate attack on civilians carried out by foreign-backed militants.

The blast occurred near Khuzdar’s Zero Point area as the bus was transporting students.

Police and paramilitary forces rushed to the scene, while the wounded were taken to a local military hospital, with critical cases transferred to larger facilities in Quetta and Karachi.

Pakistan’s military issued a strong statement following the attack, accusing India of orchestrating the bombing through proxy groups operating in the region. “In yet another cowardly and ghastly attack planned and orchestrated by the terrorist state of India, innocent school-going children were targeted,” said the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The military labeled the bombing as part of a broader campaign of state-sponsored terrorism, accusing Indian intelligence agencies of targeting civilian infrastructure and soft targets in Pakistan following their ‘failure’ in recent direct confrontations.

“After having miserably failed in the battlefield, Indian proxies have been unleashed to spread terror and unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the ISPR stated.

The military also vowed to “hunt down” those involved and to expose what it called India’s “heinous face” to the international community.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly act” and a “barbaric assault on education and children.”

He described the bombing as further evidence of external hostility toward Balochistan’s development and Pakistan’s stability.

“The sympathies of the entire nation are with the families of these innocent children,” the prime minister said, directing security agencies to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice.

President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the attack, calling it a “heinous and inhumane crime” and pledging to raise the issue of what he described as “Indian-backed terrorism” at the international level.

Authorities said a full investigation is underway, but early reports suggest the attack may have been a suicide bombing.

No group has yet claimed responsibility.

The attack follows a series of deadly incidents in Balochistan and neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Just days earlier, Pakistani security forces reportedly killed 12 suspected militants affiliated with groups alleged to be backed by Indian intelligence.

Last month, the Pakistani military also revealed the arrest of a terrorism suspect who they claimed had received training in India.

In March, the Baloch Liberation Army, a designated terrorist organization, blew up a railway line and killed 31 passengers after taking hostages from a train.