Quetta. Pakistan, May 19 – A powerful explosion near a market in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province killed four people and wounded 20 others on Sunday, local officials said, as the region grapples with persistent unrest and insurgent violence.
The blast struck near Jabbar Market in the Killa Abdullah district, causing extensive damage to buildings and triggering fires in multiple shops, according to local media and government officials. Several structures collapsed under the impact of the explosion.
Riaz Khan, Deputy Commissioner of Killa Abdullah, confirmed the casualties and said the market was situated adjacent to the rear wall of a Frontier Corps (FC) fort. “Following the explosion, a brief exchange of gunfire occurred between unidentified assailants and FC personnel,” Khan told reporters. “Security forces have cordoned off the area and a search and clearance operation is underway.”
Among the injured was a security guard of tribal elder Haji Faizullah Khan Ghabizai, along with several bystanders, authorities said. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incident comes just days after four Levies personnel were killed in a gun attack on a security checkpoint in the Nal area of Khuzdar district, also in Balochistan.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has long been plagued by violence blamed on separatist groups and Islamist militants. Ethnic Baloch insurgents have been fighting for greater autonomy and a larger share of the region’s natural resources, which they accuse the federal government of exploiting.
