Pakistan: Three Brothers Killed in Bomb Blast as Violence Escalates in Balochistan

Quetta (Terror Monitor) — Three brothers were killed and another person was injured in a bomb blast in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province, while armed militants torched a police station and a customs office in Washuk district a day earlier.

The incidents mark the third major episode of violence reported in the province over the past two days.

According to Duki police chief Mansoor Ahmed Buzdar, the bomb blast occurred in Killi Bakhtiar Khan in Loni tehsil.

He said the victims had received a phone call informing them that solar panels and other equipment installed on their agricultural land had been damaged.

Four people then travelled in a vehicle toward their land, police said.

As they were passing near a stream, a powerful explosion occurred close to their vehicle. Initial information suggests that explosives had been planted in the area beforehand.

Buzdar said three of the victims, who were brothers, were killed in the blast, while another person was injured. The bodies and injured person were shifted to a hospital.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Fruit Contractor Killed in Mastung

Separately, a fruit contractor was killed during an alleged exchange of fire in Mastung district.

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an armed clash took place between unidentified militants and security forces in the Khadkocha area.

The official said the fruit contractor, who was from Pishin district, was caught in the crossfire and killed.

Khadkocha has remained tense for several weeks, with security forces conducting operations against Baloch militants affiliated with outlawed organizations.

Police Station, Customs Office Torched in Washuk

A day earlier, a large number of unidentified armed militants reportedly entered parts of Mashkhel, a border town in Washuk district.

Local residents told media that explosions and heavy gunfire were heard across different parts of the town after the armed men arrived, triggering panic among residents.

A government official and a police officer, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attackers set fire to a police station and a customs office. They also reportedly took away some weapons.

Officials said the attackers fled the area following a security operation.

Mashkhel is a remote border area of Balochistan, located approximately 20 to 25 kilometers from the Iranian border.

Although parts of Washuk district have witnessed unrest in the past, local sources said this was the second major incident of its kind in Mashkhel town.

Earlier, in the second week of July, unidentified armed militants attacked a barber shop and killed five people from Punjab.