A suicide bombing targeting a school bus in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province killed at least five people, including three children, according to the military on Wednesday.
The bus, carrying around 40 students to an army-run school, was attacked in the Khuzdar district. Several students were injured, confirmed district administrator Yasir Iqbal.
In immediate reactions, Pakistan’s military and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, blaming it on “Indian terror proxies,” though no evidence was provided to support the claim. The Indian government has not yet responded to the accusation.
The attack comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India.
Despite agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10 following the most intense cross-border violence in decades, relations remain tense.
Both countries routinely accuse each other of backing militants, allegations both deny.
The recent military confrontation was triggered when India alleged that Pakistan supported militants involved in attacks on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir—an accusation Islamabad denies.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area but smallest in population, is home to major mining projects but has been plagued by a long-running separatist insurgency.
No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing so far. The attack bears resemblance to the 2014 Peshawar school massacre, where over 130 children were killed in one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in Pakistan’s history.
