A Car Bombing Outside a Pakistani Security Force Headquarters Kills at Least 8 People

Militants Detonated a Powerful Car Bomb Outside the Headquarters of Pakistan’s Paramilitary Security Forces in Quetta on Tuesday, Killing At Least Eight People and Injuring Several Others, Authorities Said.

Before Detonating the Vehicle, Four Attackers Exited the Car and Engaged Troops in an Intense Shootout, According to Police.

Residents Reported That the Blast Was So Powerful It Could Be Heard Miles Away. Ambulances Rushed to the Frontier Constabulary Site, and Rescuers Transported the Wounded to Nearby Hospitals.

No Group Immediately Claimed Responsibility, Though Authorities Suspect Separatist Groups That Routinely Target Civilians and Security Forces in Insurgency-Hit Balochistan, Where Quetta Serves as the Provincial Capital.

Provincial Health Minister Bakhat Kakar Warned That the Death Toll Could Rise Further.

Footage From Local TV Channels and CCTV Shows a Car Stopping in Front of the Paramilitary Compound Gate, Followed by a Massive Explosion and Gunfire. Windows of Surrounding Buildings Were Shattered, and Nearby Vehicles Were Damaged.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti Condemned the Attack, Stating That Security Forces Returned Fire and Killed All Four Assailants.

“Terrorists Cannot Break the Nation’s Resolve Through Cowardly Acts, and the Sacrifices of Our People and Security Forces Will Not Go in Vain,” Bugti Said, Adding That His Government Remains Committed to Ensuring Peace and Security in the Province.

The Attack Comes Weeks After a Suicide Bomber Targeted a Stadium Near Quetta During a Nationalist Party Rally, Killing At Least 13 People and Injuring 30 Others.

Balochistan Has Long Been A Hotspot of Insurgency, With Groups Like the Outlawed Baloch Liberation Army Demanding Independence From the Central Government. These Separatist Groups Have Frequently Targeted Both Security Forces and Civilians in the Region and Beyond.