At least 11 people were killed and around 40 others injured in a suicide bombing at a political rally in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, on Tuesday.

The Attack

The explosion occurred in the parking lot of a stadium where hundreds of Balochistan National Party (BNP) supporters had gathered to mark the death anniversary of the party’s founder, Attaullah Mengal. According to officials, the bomber detonated explosives shortly after the rally concluded.

Emergency Response

Rescue teams rushed the injured to nearby hospitals as security forces cordoned off the site and began collecting evidence. The Balochistan Home Department confirmed that relief operations were underway and medical staff were treating the wounded.

Political Reaction

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the bombing, calling it a “cowardly act by enemies of humanity.” He said militants were deliberately targeting civilians but vowed that the “evil intentions of terrorists” would be defeated.

Background of Violence

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan’s Balochistan region has faced an armed insurgency for over a decade. Violence intensified in 2024, when more than 780 people were killed in militant attacks. Earlier this year, the Baloch Liberation Army carried out a train hijacking, killing soldiers and holding passengers hostage.

Since January 2025, over 430 people—mostly security personnel—have died in attacks across Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On the same day as the Quetta rally blast, six soldiers were killed in Bannu when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a military gate.

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