A devastating suicide bombing struck a security forces’ convoy on National Highway N-40 in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Sunday, March 16, 2025, martyring three security personnel and two civilians. The attack, carried out by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber, was claimed by the banned terrorist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), triggering a fierce response from security forces, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The morning assault saw a car laden with explosives ram into one of seven buses in the convoy, which was en route to Taftan on the Iranian border, local police official Mohammed Zafar told AFP. The explosion killed five individuals—Havildar Manzoor Ali, 38, from Nawabshah district; Havildar Ali Bilawal, 39, from Naseerabad district; Naik Abdul Raheem, 34, from Badin district; and two civilian drivers, Jalaluddin from Quetta district and Muhammad Naeem from Kharan district. Additionally, 35 others were injured, with over 30 paramilitary force members among the wounded, Nushki district Senior Superintendent of Police Hashim Momand told Reuters. The injured were rushed to local hospitals, where an emergency was declared.
The ISPR stated, “On March 16, 2025, a vehicle-borne suicide bomber exploded himself on a security forces convoy in Nushki District. Resultantly, five brave sons of the soil embraced martyrdom; three security forces personnel and two innocent civilians.” In the ensuing sanitization operation, security forces pursued and neutralized three more terrorists in an intense firefight, the ISPR added. “Sanitization operations in the area will continue, and perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act will be brought to justice. Security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability, and progress in Balochistan.”
The BLA, which recently claimed responsibility for attacking the Jaffar Express train and holding 450 hostages in a two-day siege that ended on Thursday, March 13, 2025, with security forces rescuing hundreds and killing 33 terrorists, has escalated its campaign of violence in the region. This attack follows a pattern of targeting security installations and civilians, as noted in official reports.
President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the attack, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. In a press release, President Zardari expressed “deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives” and prayed for the bereaved families, while Prime Minister Shehbaz directed that the injured receive the best possible treatment, asserting, “Such cowardly acts cannot deter our resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.” Interior Minister Naqvi described the attack as a “barbaric act,” emphasizing the government’s commitment to combating terrorism and honoring the sacrifices of security personnel. Balochistan Chief Minister Bugti declared, “Cowardly attacks cannot lower our morale, and terrorists will not find shelter anywhere. We will establish peace at all costs.”
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, stated that “enemy elements are making nefarious attempts to create instability” in Pakistan, but affirmed that the nation’s morale remains unshaken by terrorism. The attack underscores the ongoing security challenges in Balochistan, where the BLA and other groups continue to threaten peace and stability, despite robust counter-terrorism efforts.
