Car bomb outside Pakistan's security force headquarters kills at least
10, dozens injured
[September 30, 2025]
By ABDUL SATTAR
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A powerful car bomb outside the headquarters of
Pakistan’s paramilitary security forces killed at least 10 people on
Tuesday and wounded 30 others, authorities said.
Before detonating their vehicle, as many as six militants inside the car
stepped outside and engaged troops in an intense shootout, according to
the police. All six attackers were reported to have been killed.
Residents said the blast in the southwestern city of Quetta could be
heard from miles away. Ambulances rushed to the site in front of the
Frontier Constabulary and rescuers transported the wounded to nearby
hospitals.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, though suspicion is likely
to fall on separatists who often target civilians and security forces in
insurgency-plagued Balochistan, where Quetta is the provincial capital.
Provincial health minister Bakhat Kakar said the death toll could rise
further. He told reporters that the attackers had targeted the security
forces’ headquarters, but most of those killed and injured were
civilians.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said six attackers were involved in the
assault and all of them were killed by the security forces.
Mohammad Usman, who lives near the paramilitary headquarters, said the
blast shook the entire neighborhood. “The windowpanes of my house
shattered, and part of the building was damaged, but thanks to God we
are all safe,” he said, adding he heard gunfire following the explosion.
Local television channels and CCTV footage from the site of the
explosion showed images of a car stopping in front of the gate of the
paramilitary compound. An explosion follows and gunfire is heard after
the blast. Windows of surrounding buildings were shattered and nearby
cars were damaged, according to the footage.
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Rescue workers and security officials examine damaged vehicles at
the site of a powerful car bombing, in Quetta, Pakistan, Tuesday,
Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the bombing and praised security
forces for quickly responding to the attack and eliminating the
attackers.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also condemned the attack,
saying security forces returned fire and killed all the assailants
involved in the deadly attack in the city.
“Terrorists cannot break the nation’s resolve through cowardly acts,
and the sacrifices of our people and security forces will not go in
vain,” Bugti said in a statement. He said that his government
remains committed to making the province a peaceful and secure
place.
The attack comes weeks after a suicide bombing outside a stadium
near Quetta as supporters of a nationalist party were leaving a
rally, killing at least 13 people and wounding 30 others.
Balochistan has long been the scene of insurgency, with groups such
as the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army demanding independence from
the central government. The separatists have largely targeted
security forces and civilians in the region and elsewhere.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from
Islamabad.
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