RAWALPINDI, Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (WNP): At least five people, including three children, lost their lives and several others sustained injuries on Wednesday when a school bus was targeted in a blast in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
In a strongly worded statement, the military’s media wing condemned the attack, attributing it to India and its alleged proxy operatives active in Balochistan.
“In yet another cowardly and ghastly attack orchestrated by the terrorist state of India and executed through its proxies, a school bus carrying innocent children was targeted in Khuzdar,” said the ISPR.
Preliminary reports confirmed that three children and two adults were martyred in the explosion, while multiple others — primarily schoolchildren — were injured. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the site, and the injured were shifted to local hospitals.
The ISPR accused Indian intelligence agencies of shifting tactics toward soft targets after what it described as “failures on the battlefield,” particularly referencing Operation Bunnianum Masroor — a recent military operation against terrorist hideouts. “Having been relentlessly pursued by Pakistan’s security forces, Indian proxies are now targeting vulnerable civilians to spread terror and instability in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the statement said.
It added that the targeting of children in such attacks exposed the “moral bankruptcy” of India’s state apparatus and reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to unmask those responsible. “The planners, abettors, and perpetrators of this heinous, India-sponsored attack will be hunted down and brought to justice. The heinous face of India will be exposed to the world,” the ISPR declared.
The military reiterated its commitment to defeating terrorism in all its forms, stating, “Pakistan’s armed forces, with the unwavering support of the nation, remain united in uprooting Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country.”
ISPR rejects allegations over North Waziristan civilian casualties, blames indian-linked militant group
In a separate development, the ISPR also issued a clarification regarding a tragic incident in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area on May 19, where civilian casualties had reportedly occurred.
Dismissing the circulating allegations against security forces as “entirely baseless,” the ISPR described the claims as part of a “coordinated disinformation campaign” aimed at undermining public trust in the military’s counter-terrorism efforts.
“A comprehensive investigation was promptly initiated. Initial findings indicate that the heinous act was carried out by Indian-sponsored terrorist outfit Fitna Al-Khawarij,” the ISPR stated.
It alleged that the group deliberately exploited civilian populations as human shields to execute attacks, a tactic intended to “sow discord between local communities and security forces.”
Reaffirming its commitment to accountability and justice, the military vowed that those responsible for the attack would be identified and punished.
“Our forces stand firm with the people of Pakistan in this shared fight against terrorism. We will not allow foreign-sponsored actors to derail national peace and unity,” the statement concluded.
