Copyright dailytimes
A bomb targeting the convoy of Kech Deputy Commissioner Major (retd) Bashir Barech in Turbat, Balochistan, on Monday injured eight people, including Levies Force. Kech Senior Superintendent of Police Captain (retd) Zohaib Mohsin said a remote-controlled device, planted on a motorcycle, was detonated as the convoy passed Press Club Road. The deputy commissioner remained unharmed, though one vehicle in the convoy was severely damaged. Police and Frontier Corps personnel are investigating the attack. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, and police confirmed that their condition is stable. Police authorities have said that the explosive had been planted on a motorcycle and detonated remotely. Security forces cordoned off the area and are collecting evidence. Balochistan has seen a rise in terrorist incidents, particularly against law enforcement and security forces, led by the group “Fitna al-Hindustan.” ‘Fitna al-Hindustan’ is a term used by the state to refer to all terrorist groups operating in Balochistan – a designation meant to reflect the “true nature and ideology” of these India-sponsored elements and their “nefarious designs.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking at a national workshop in Balochistan on Saturday, expressed concern over the resurgence of terrorism in the province and called for a thorough review of the factors behind the unrest. Recent attacks in the province include a bomb on a railway track near Dera Murad Jamali on October 7, which killed a railway worker and disrupted train services; a blast near Quetta’s FC headquarters on 30 September that killed at least 10 people and injured 32; and an attack on the Jaffar Express in Mastung on 23 September, which injured 12, including women and children. Other notable incidents this month include a blast near a taxi stand in Chaman on 18 September, killing at least five, and an explosion at a Balochistan National Party-Mengal rally in Quetta on 2 September, which killed five and injured 29. Pakistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, mostly targeting police, law enforcement personnel, and security forces. On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the Balochistan Workshop in Islamabad, regretted the resurgence of terrorism in Balochistan and other regions, calling for a serious look at “the reasons that led to the unrest”.
