A car bomb exploded near a busy market in the southwestern Pakistani city of Qillah Abdullah on Sunday night, killing four people and injuring at least 20 others, according to local authorities.

The blast occurred in Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and has long been plagued by separatist violence. Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Riaz confirmed the casualties on Monday and said the explosion also damaged the outer wall of a nearby building housing paramilitary forces.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but suspicion is likely to fall on ethnic Baloch separatist groups, which have carried out similar attacks in the past. These groups frequently target security forces, infrastructure, and civilians in their campaign for greater autonomy or independence.

Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan provincial government, strongly condemned the bombing and said a thorough investigation is underway. “Such acts of violence are aimed at destabilizing the region, but they will not succeed,” Rind said in a statement.

Balochistan has been the center of a long-running insurgency by a mix of nationalist and separatist factions, including the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in 2019.

Security forces have since increased patrols in the area as authorities work to identify those responsible for the attack. (ILKHA)