Mastung, August 21, 2026: At least six people were killed and three others injured in an explosion in the Khad Kocha area of Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday, police said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rafiq Hamza said the explosion occurred at an orchard in the Khad Kocha area. The bodies and injured were shifted to Ghaus Bakhsh Raisani Hospital for treatment and identification.
Police said a bomb disposal unit had been called to the site to determine the nature and cause of the explosion. Law enforcement personnel reached the area shortly after the blast and cordoned it off as investigations continued.
The incident comes days after two people were killed and two others injured when an explosive device planted along a roadside detonated at Wali Tangi in Quetta’s Hanna Urak recreational area.
Balochistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant violence in recent years, alongside neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to a report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the two provinces remained Pakistan’s main hotspots for violence during the second quarter of 2026, collectively accounting for nearly 96 per cent of all violence-related fatalities recorded during the period.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounted for more than 61 per cent, or 475, of the reported deaths, while Balochistan recorded 265 fatalities, representing around 34 per cent of the total.
Security forces have continued conducting intelligence-based operations against militants in various parts of Balochistan under Operation Rad-ul-Fitna-3 as authorities seek to contain the escalating threat.
Further details about the nature of Friday’s explosion and the identities of those killed were awaited as the bomb disposal team and law enforcement agencies continued their investigation.
