School Bus Bombing in Pakistan Claims Lives of 6, Including 4 Students

A deadly attack highlights the grim threats facing children in areas plagued by militancy.

In a harrowing incident on Wednesday morning, six individuals, including four schoolchildren, lost their lives in a bombing that struck a school bus in the troubled Balochistan Province of Pakistan. This tragedy unfolded as students were being transported to a military-run educational institution, further intensifying concern over safety in a region long marked by violent insurgency and acts of terrorism.

Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti disclosed that the bus, which carried a total of 46 students, was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast also claimed the lives of the bus driver and an assistant, while several others sustained injuries. “Militant groups are increasingly targeting vulnerable populations, particularly children, in recent months,” Bugti emphasized during a press briefing in Quetta, the provincial capital.

The bombing occurred near the Khuzdar district, approximately 180 miles south of Quetta, along a primary route connecting the provincial capital with Karachi. Reports indicate that the school bus was transporting students from various localities to a secure military cantonment, a stark reminder of the persistent peril children face amid the ongoing conflict in the region.