Four people were killed and 32 injured in a blast targeting a bus in the suburban area of Balochistan’s Turbat on Saturday, according to the police.

Rabia Tariq, public relations officer for the Balochistan inspector general of police’s office, confirmed the toll to Dawn.com, adding that the nature of the blast was being assessed, but full details would be provided only after an investigation.

She said as per the initial details, a bus going from Karachi to Turbat was targeted in the New Bahman area, adding that the injured were moved to a nearby hospital with five being in critical condition.

Tariq said a large number of police and security forces reached the scene and cordoned off the area and further investigations were being conducted regarding the blast.

She said Quetta Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zohaib Mohsin was also going to Turbat with his family and was caught in the blast.

A statement from Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said SSP Mohsin was slightly injured, along with four of his family.

Rind said the bodies would be sent to their native areas after the necessary formalities and the injured were being provided medical assistance while those seriously injured were being moved to other cities.

The banned militant Balochistan Liberation Army group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack and offered prayers for the deceased and injured.

“Terrorists will not be successful in their nefarious purposes. The government and security forces are working hard against the terrorists. There is determination to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan.”

Condemning the attack, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed “deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious human lives”.

He further said that “those who target the innocent do not deserve to be called human beings,” adding that he shared in the grief of the families affected by the incident and prayed for the recovery of the wounded.

One person was injured in a bomb attack on a gas company’s vehicle in Qila Saifullah district on Wednesday. Police officials said terrorists had planned to attack the camp of the Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited located on the outskirts of Qila Saifullah.

In November last year, at least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide blast ripped through a Quetta Railway Station, local authorities and hospital officials said.

Pakistan, particularly Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saw a sharp uptick in terrorism-related incidents in 2024.

With at least 685 members of security forces losing their lives amid a total of 444 terror attacks, 2024 turned out to be the deadliest year for civil and military security forces of Pakistan in a decade.

Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel: 1,612 fatalities, accounting for over 63pc of the total recorded this year and marking 73pc more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated.