A devastating suicide bombing struck a political rally in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more.

The attack targeted supporters of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) gathered to commemorate the death anniversary of Sardar Ataullah Mengal, a prominent nationalist leader and former provincial chief minister.

According to local officials, the explosion occurred in the parking lot of a stadium on the outskirts of Quetta as hundreds of BNP members were leaving the event. Government official Hamza Shafaat confirmed that his son, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, a senior BNP leader and vocal critic of the government, was present but escaped unharmed.

At least 18 people were wounded, with some reports indicating up to 30 injuries, many in critical condition. “The bomb went off in a parking area as people were leaving the rally,” Shafaat stated, while police official Athar Rasheed noted that the blast appeared to be a suicide bombing. Authorities have launched an investigation, but no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Security forces quickly cordoned off the area, and emergency services rushed the wounded to nearby hospitals.

In a separate but equally deadly incident on the same day, a coordinated suicide bombing targeted a paramilitary base in Bannu, a town in northwest Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The assault killed 12 people, including six security personnel and six militants. According to regional police chief Sajjad Khan, the attack began early Tuesday morning when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the base’s boundary wall, creating a breach that allowed other militants to storm the compound. The ensuing gunbattle lasted 12 hours, ending with the deaths of all attackers.

The twin attacks highlight the ongoing security challenges in Pakistan’s volatile border regions. Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, has long been plagued by a low-level insurgency led by groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army, which demands independence from the central government. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen a surge in militant attacks targeting security forces. No group has claimed responsibility for the Quetta bombing, but the Bannu attack was claimed by the militant group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the Quetta bombing as a “cowardly act” and ordered the best possible medical care for the victims, alongside a high-level probe to bring the perpetrators to justice. The attacks come amid heightened tensions in the region, with Pakistani officials, including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, accusing foreign actors of backing such violence, though no evidence was provided to support these claims.

As hospitals in Quetta and Bannu treat the wounded and families mourn their losses, the incidents underscore the persistent threat of militancy in Pakistan, raising urgent questions about the safety of public gatherings and the security of the nation’s border regions. (ILKHA)