Kalat, July 16, 2025: At least three people were killed and seven others injured when unidentified assailants opened fire and hurled grenades at a passenger coach near a security checkpost in Balochistan’s Kalat district, police confirmed on Wednesday.
The bus, en route from Karachi to Quetta, was attacked near Nemargh Cross, a known transit point in the volatile region. Police said the attackers had taken up positions on nearby hills, ambushing the vehicle as it approached. Initial reports suggest the assailants first opened fire from elevated positions and then threw hand grenades at the coach, inflicting heavy casualties.
While buses on this route typically carry 40 to 50 passengers, the exact number on board at the time of the assault is yet to be determined.
This marks the second deadly assault in less than a week in the restive province, which continues to suffer frequent acts of terrorism, leaving scores of civilians and security personnel dead or injured this year alone.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that security forces, local administration, and emergency responders reached the site promptly, transferring the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital in Kalat, where an emergency has been declared. He added that a search operation had been launched, though the attackers managed to flee and remain at large. “Preliminary information suggests the assailants had blocked the road from both ends and were waiting to strike,” Rind said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack, blaming it on Fitna al Hindustan — a term used by authorities to describe foreign-backed terrorist groups operating in Balochistan. He offered prayers for the deceased and extended condolences to the bereaved families, instructing the authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
Calling the targeting of innocent civilians a “cowardly act,” the prime minister vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice and warned that terrorists would pay a heavy price for such crimes. “My government, along with our security forces, is fully committed to wiping out terrorism from Pakistan,” he stated.
The incident follows closely on the heels of another brutal attack in the Sur-Dakai area, located on the border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts. In that attack, nine passengers travelling on two Punjab-bound buses were abducted and later killed by unidentified gunmen. According to Assistant Commissioner Zhob Naveed Alam, the attackers forcibly removed the passengers from their vehicles and shot them, transporting the bodies to Rakhni for repatriation to their hometowns in Punjab.
Spokesperson Shahid Rind also attributed that attack to Fitna al Hindustan. Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the ongoing violence, declaring that those responsible for killing innocent people would be hunted down. “Murderers of civilians do not deserve mercy. We will go after them until the last one is brought to justice,” he said.
As the province reels from back-to-back terrorist incidents, security forces remain on high alert, and authorities have reiterated their resolve to restore peace and stability in Balochistan.
