Four children killed in school bus bombing in Southwest Pakistan

Quetta, Pakistan (AFP/RSS): At least four children were killed and over 30 injured in a suspected suicide bombing targeting a school bus in Khuzdar district, Balochistan province, on Wednesday, officials said. The bus was transporting students from the Army Public School (APS), a military-run institution serving both army personnel and civilians.

“A bomb targeted the APS school bus, and initial investigations suggest it was a suicide attack,” said Yasir Iqbal Dashti, a senior local government official. A police official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the casualties and warned the toll may rise. The military later reported five deaths, including three children.

Images from the scene showed the shattered remains of the bus and school bags strewn nearby.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, expressing condolences to the victims’ families and accusing India of backing the militants responsible—an accusation echoed by Pakistan’s military.

No group has claimed responsibility, though the region has seen attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Islamic State, and the Pakistani Taliban. The bombing comes weeks after Pakistan and India agreed to a ceasefire following heightened tensions.

The tragedy echoes the 2014 APS attack in Peshawar, where more than 150 people, mostly students, were killed in one of Pakistan’s deadliest terror incidents.