• Banned BLA claims responsibility for suicide attack
• SSP, his family among 35 injured in explosion
• President, PM, CM condemn terrorist attack

GWADAR/ QUETTA: At least six people, including five Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were martyred and 35 others, including children, suffered injuries when an explosive-laden vehicle hit a coach in the Turbat area of Kech district on Saturday.

Officials said SSP Zohaib Mohsin, who was on leave and was passing through the area along with his family in his vehicle, also sustained injuries in the blast.

While claiming responsibility for the attack on the coach, which was taking FC personnel from Karachi to Turbat, the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said its Majeed Brigade carried out the blast.

According to reports, when the coach reached the new Behman area, on the outskirts of Turbat, the explosive-laden vehicle hit the coach after which they caught fire.

Police and FC personnel immediately rushed to the site after the tragic incident and launched a rescue operation and shif­ted the bodies and the injured to hospital.

“An explosive-laden vehicle was used in the attack,” an official confirmed on condition of anonymity, adding that five people have lost their lives in the attack.

Four of the martyred were later identified as Noor Khan hailing from Dasht area of Kech, Abdul Wahab from Gwadar, Mohammad Ejaz from Gishkor area of Awaran and Liaquat Ali from Sohbatpur, sources said.

“We have received 11 injured at district hospital, including the family of SSP (serious crimes) Zohaib Mohsin,” Dr Ahmed Baloch confirmed to Dawn.

He said there were at least four children among the injured. He added that one security personnel was also brought to the hospital, but he was later shifted to FC health facility.

Sources said a total of 55 people were hurt in the suicide attack and 20 of them were discharged after being given first aid. The condition of 10 victims was stated to be serious. Police identified them as Zohaib, Changez, Shahzad Ahmed, Haider, Jalal, Sultan, Abdullah, Najeeb Ahmed, Muhammad Aslam and Muhammad Idrees.

Sources said SSP (serious crimes) Zohaib Mohsin, who hails from Turbat, was with his family in his vehicle when the attack was carried out.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and ministers condemned the attack, though none among them was available to give details of the incident.

President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the terrorist attack, adds Radio Pakistan.

In their separate statements, they expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2025