Five killed, three injured in blast at taxi stand in Pakistan’s Chaman

ISLAMABAD:At least five people were killed and three others injured in an explosion at a border taxi stand in Chaman, a city in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, Geo News reported.

According to the local administration, the blast occurred when explosives concealed in passengers’ luggage detonated at the busy stand. The injured and deceased were shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital. Authorities have launched an inquiry into the attack.

The provincial Home Department said that security forces swiftly cordoned off the site, while investigators are probing the nature and motive of the explosion. In a statement, the department stressed that strict action would be taken against those facilitating terrorism in the province, Geo News reported.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing, expressing grief over the deaths and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. He directed authorities to provide the best possible medical care and emphasised that those behind the attack must be brought to justice. “Elements spreading unrest in Balochistan are enemies of the province’s development and prosperity, and their nefarious designs will never succeed,” the Prime Minister said.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also denounced the incident, offering condolences to the families of the victims and affirming government support during this difficult time.

The blast in Chaman came on the same day two people were injured in a separate hand grenade attack in Kalat’s Mangocher Bazaar. Violence in the province has escalated in recent weeks. Two days earlier, five soldiers, including a captain, were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Balochistan’s Kech district. (ANI)