At least three people were killed and seven others injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus traveling from Karachi to Quetta in the Kalat district of Balochistan, a government spokesperson said Wednesday.
According to Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the Balochistan government, “Three passengers were martyred and seven others were injured in the tragic incident.”
The injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital Kalat for treatment, where an emergency was declared. He said security forces, the district administration, and rescue teams immediately reached the site, cordoned off the area, and launched a search operation to track down the attackers.
The attack was strongly condemned by Pakistani leaders, who blamed the assault on terrorist elements backed by hostile foreign forces.
The incident occurs days afters armed men killed nine bus passengers after kidnapping them in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.
The passengers had been kidnapped from multiple buses on Thursday evening, Shahid Rind said.
Their bodies with bullet wounds were found in mountains overnight, another government official Naveed Alam said.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives in what he called a cowardly terrorist attack by “Fitna-e-Hindustan”, a term used by the government for India-backed militants operating in Balochistan.
The prime minister offered prayers for the martyrs and wished a swift recovery for the injured. He directed authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to the wounded and vowed a strong response.
“The terrorists who targeted innocent and unarmed civilians will pay a very heavy price,” he said. “The government and security forces are fully determined to eradicate terrorism from the country.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack anddescribed the targeting of innocent passengers as a “cowardly act.”
He said such attacks are part of a wider conspiracy to destabilize the country, adding, “With the nation’s support, we will foil the plots of these Indian-sponsored terrorists.”
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called the attack “barbaric,” stressing that such elements must be eliminated to ensure peace and progress.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman also denounced the assault, terming it a “heinous crime.” She urged the government to take “decisive and robust action” against the perpetrators and ensure they are brought to justice.
In March, at least five people were killed after armed men blocked the main highway in Gwadar district.
The armed men offloaded passengers from the Karachi-bound passenger bus in the Kalmat area, between Pasni and Ormara and killed them after checking their ID cards.