- Indian-sponsored terrorists targeted a school bus in Khuzdar, killing 3 young female students and 2 adults.
- The attack follows India’s battlefield defeat and is seen as a cowardly act of desperation, according to sources in Pakistani security officials.
- The victims include Saniya Somro (Grade 6), Hafza Kausar (Grade 7), and Aisha Saleem (Grade 10), with several more children injured.
- The Pakistani nation and Armed Forces vow justice, unity, and a crackdown on Indian-backed terrorism in Balochistan.
Khuzdar, 21 May 2025 — A brutal act of terror unfolded in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district on Tuesday morning, as a school bus carrying innocent children was targeted in a devastating attack allegedly orchestrated by Indian intelligence and carried out by its proxies operating in the region. The attack left three young girls martyred and injured several others, sparking national outrage and reaffirming Pakistan’s resolve to combat Indian-sponsored terrorism.
The victims—Saniya Somro, a 6th-grade student; Hafza Kausar, in 7th grade; and Aisha Saleem, a 10th grader—were on their way to school when the bus was struck by an explosive device. The attack also claimed the lives of two accompanying adults and injured multiple students, many of whom were rushed to Combined Military Hospitals (CMH) in Khuzdar and Quetta in critical condition.
Witnesses described horrifying scenes at CMH Khuzdar, where the emergency ward resembled a battlefield.
Dozens of local residents arrived to donate blood as medical staff worked around the clock, moving frantically from one child to another in an effort to save lives.
A Cowardly Act by a Desperate Enemy
Security sources confirmed the attack was planned in India and executed by militant proxies in Balochistan, a tactic New Delhi has increasingly relied on after suffering military setbacks on the battlefield. The timing of the assault, according to officials, was a direct response to India’s humiliating defeat during Operation Bunyān al-Mārsūs, a major Pakistani military offensive earlier this year that dismantled multiple Indian-backed terror networks.
“India has miserably failed on the battlefield and now seeks revenge by targeting soft civilian targets—innocent children on their way to school,” said a senior security official in Rawalpindi.
In a strongly worded statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) condemned the attack as “ghastly and cowardly,” accusing India of using terrorism as an official tool of state policy.
“The distorted face of India is behind every terrorist incident in Pakistan,” ISPR stated. “Having failed in Operation Bunyān al-Mārsūs and being relentlessly hunted by our military and law enforcement agencies, Indian proxies are now being unleashed to foment unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
National Mourning and Swift Response
The tragedy sent shockwaves across the country. Social media was flooded with condolences and calls for justice, while mass blood donation drives sprang up across Balochistan. Civil society and religious leaders condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the grieving families.
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Meanwhile, the armed forces and intelligence services have launched a comprehensive operation to track down and neutralize those responsible. “The planners, abettors, and executors of this heinous act will be hunted down,” ISPR asserted. “Pakistan will expose India’s role in sponsoring terrorism before the international community.”
The federal government is expected to raise the issue at multiple diplomatic forums, including the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as part of its ongoing efforts to isolate India for its aggressive and covert actions inside Pakistan.
Rising Tide of Terrorism in 2024
The Khuzdar school bus bombing marks yet another incident in a growing wave of terrorist violence that has gripped Pakistan over the past year. According to official statistics, the country witnessed a 70% increase in terrorist attacks in 2024, with 521 incidents claiming 852 lives, including 358 security personnel and 355 civilians.
Among the fallen security personnel last year were 124 Army soldiers, 140 police officers, and 78 Frontier Corps members. An additional 1,092 individuals were wounded in attacks across the country, underscoring the scale of violence that Pakistan continues to face from foreign-sponsored insurgency networks.
Although Pakistani forces killed 139 militants and wounded 10 in retaliatory operations, officials warn that the intensification of Indian-sponsored terrorism—particularly in Balochistan—is part of a broader hybrid warfare strategy to destabilize the region and create divisions within Pakistan.
Standing United Against Terror
Despite the ongoing challenges, the Pakistani military leadership remains resolute in its commitment to uproot Indian-sponsored terrorism in all its forms.
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A senior military spokesperson emphasized that Pakistan’s armed forces, in close coordination with the intelligence community, have already dismantled several major terror cells and will continue to pursue those responsible for targeting civilians.
“This cowardly attack on children will not go unanswered,” the spokesperson said. “The blood of our innocent children will become a curse for the perpetrators. The state and its institutions are fully prepared to eliminate this threat from its roots.”
As the nation mourns the loss of its young martyrs, there is also a renewed sense of resolve—one that transcends political divides. From Khuzdar to Karachi, and from Quetta to Islamabad, the message is clear: Pakistan stands united against the terror exported by India, and its people will not be cowed by acts of brutality.
Reporting by Islamabad Telegraph Staff
Additional reporting from Quetta and Khuzdar