Representational image. At least two children were killed in a roadside bomb blast in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, August 24. | Photo credit: AP
A roadside bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near a police office in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday (August 24, 2024), killing at least two children and injuring 15 people, officials said.
Local police official Mujirbur Rahman said the bomb appeared to have been detonated using a remote control and investigations were underway. He also said the injured included policemen and passersby and some were admitted to hospital in critical condition.
Mr. Rehman said that the bodies of the deceased have also been taken to a nearby hospital.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack in Pishin district of Balochistan province. However, suspicion falls on separatist groups, who have increased attacks on security forces and civilians in recent months.
Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the bombings in a statement and condoled the death of the children, saying those behind the attack “do not deserve to be called human beings.” He also vowed to continue the war against terrorists and their supporters “until they are wiped out.”
For years, Balochistan Islamabad has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by groups seeking independence from the central government. Although the government says it has suppressed the uprising, violence continues in the province.