At least four Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were martyred and three others injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast targeting a security vehicle in Quetta’s Margate area on Friday. The attack comes amid a sharp rise in militant violence across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Hanna Urak Station House Officer Naveed Akhtar confirmed that the bomb disposal squad (BDS) was the target of the explosion. The martyred personnel were identified as Subedar Shahzad Amin, Naib Subedar Abbas, Sepoy Khalil, and Sepoy Zahid. The injured—Lance Naik Zafar, Lines Naik Farooq, and Sepoy Khurram Saleem—were shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for treatment. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation for suspects.
This incident follows a recent surge in terrorism, with the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reporting 105 militant attacks in March alone—the highest since November 2014. These attacks resulted in 228 fatalities, including 73 security personnel and 67 civilians, while 258 others were injured. Pakistan now ranks second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with terror-related deaths rising by 45% in the past year.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the Quetta attack. Zardari praised the martyrs’ sacrifices and reiterated the nation’s resolve to eradicate terrorism. Naqvi called the attack a “heinous conspiracy” to destabilize Pakistan and vowed that the FC sacrifices for peace in Balochistan would not be forgotten.
Earlier this month, on April 15, three Balochistan Constabulary personnel were martyred and 16 injured in a remote-controlled IED blast in Mastung. Another suicide attack near a Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) rally in Luk Pass was foiled, with no casualties reported.
Authorities continue investigations into these incidents as security forces escalate counterterrorism operations nationwide.
Also read: PM, Army Chief visit CMH Quetta, meet injured of Jaffar Express incident
