8 Killed, Over 19 Injured in Powerful Car Bombing, Firing Outside FC HQ in Pakistan’s Quetta
A powerful car bomb ripped through a busy street in Quetta, Pakistan, on Tuesday, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 19 others in a brazen attack outside the Frontier Constabulary (FC) headquarters. The blast, which was followed by gunfire, sent shockwaves through the city and heightened panic in the sensitive locality. Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar confirmed the death toll, cautioning that the number of casualties could rise as many of the injured are in critical condition.
The explosion was so intense that it was heard across Model Town and adjoining areas, shattering the windowpanes of nearby homes and commercial buildings. Rescue teams and police immediately rushed to the scene, cordoning off the entire area as ambulances ferried the wounded to hospitals. An emergency has been declared at Civil Hospital Quetta, BMC Hospital, and the Trauma Center, with all doctors, nurses, and paramedics placed on high alert to handle the influx of victims.
A senior police official confirmed that a full-scale investigation has been launched to determine the nature and perpetrators of the attack. While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, suspicion is likely to fall on separatist outfits active in the insurgency-hit province of Balochistan. Groups such as the banned Baloch Liberation Army have a history of targeting security forces and civilians in their long-running campaign for independence. As security personnel launched a search operation in the surrounding neighbourhoods, the city remained on edge following one of the deadliest attacks in recent months.
