Islamabad, May 8 – Pakistan’s military on Tuesday accused India of being behind a deadly roadside bombing in the restive province of Balochistan that killed seven soldiers, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours following a spate of recent cross-border accusations.
The attack targeted a military vehicle with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Balochistan’s Gwadar district, near the borders with Iran and Afghanistan. The military blamed the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), calling the group “an Indian proxy,” but did not provide evidence to substantiate the claim. India has yet to respond.
“This cowardly act is an attempt to derail peace efforts and will not go unpunished,” Pakistan’s army said in a statement.
A senior local official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the convoy was en route to a security operation when it was hit. Five others were wounded and airlifted to a military hospital in Quetta, the provincial capital.
Violence has surged in Pakistan’s western regions this year, with more than 200 people, mainly security personnel, killed in attacks by armed groups in Balochistan and the northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, according to an AFP tally. In March, the BLA hijacked a passenger train, killing 31 people.
The bombing comes against the backdrop of worsening diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan following a deadly shooting in India-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam region on April 22, in which 25 Indian tourists and one Nepalese citizen were killed. India has accused Pakistan of supporting the attackers, a charge Islamabad denies.
Since then, both sides have taken retaliatory measures including suspending trade, closing airspace to one another, expelling diplomats, and shutting a major land border crossing. India has also suspended a key water-sharing treaty.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s top civilian and military leadership—including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the deputy prime minister, foreign and defence ministers, and service chiefs—attended a security briefing at the headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s principal spy agency.
Pakistan has conducted two missile tests in the past three days. India, meanwhile, has announced nationwide civil defence drills for Wednesday, including air raid sirens and evacuation plans.
At a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, both countries traded accusations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for restraint, warning that any military confrontation could “easily spin out of control.”
“Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink,” Guterres said.
