Noshki, March 16, 2025: At least seven people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers, were martyred, and 35 others sustained injuries in a deadly attack on a paramilitary convoy along the Noshki-Dalbandin highway on Sunday. The violence marks yet another tragic incident in insurgency-hit Balochistan.
The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, which involved an improvised explosive device (IED) blast followed by a suicide bombing targeting the FC convoy. Three FC personnel and two civilians lost their lives in the suicide attack.
Security forces responded swiftly, eliminating three assailants, excluding the suicide bomber. A large contingent of security personnel secured the area and launched a clearance operation, officials confirmed.
According to police sources, the injured were immediately transported to Noshki Hospital. Two critically wounded individuals later succumbed to their injuries, raising the death toll to seven. Several victims remain in critical condition. In response, an emergency was declared at Mir Gul Khan Naseer Teaching Hospital, and arrangements were made to airlift severely injured patients to Quetta for advanced medical care.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the elevation of the martyrs’ ranks. The premier also assured that the injured would receive the best possible medical treatment, vowing that such cowardly acts would not weaken Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate terrorism.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi echoed the condemnation, decrying the attack on innocent civilians as an act of extreme brutality. He wished the injured a swift recovery.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also expressed grief over the loss of lives, reaffirming the provincial government’s commitment to restoring peace in the region. He assured that all necessary measures would be taken to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The attack comes just days after a major terrorist incident in Balochistan’s Bolan district, where militants from the BLA derailed the Jaffar Express and took over 440 passengers hostage. Security forces conducted a complex operation, neutralizing 33 terrorists and rescuing the hostages. However, the assault resulted in 26 civilian and security personnel casualties.
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both bordering Afghanistan, continue to bear the brunt of terrorist attacks. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, these two provinces accounted for over 96% of all terrorist incidents and fatalities in Pakistan in 2024.
Additionally, data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) revealed a 42% surge in terror attacks in January 2025, underscoring the growing security challenge in the region.
As authorities intensify counterterrorism efforts, security forces remain on high alert to prevent further attacks and ensure stability in the troubled province.
