Pakistan's turbulent southwestern province of Balochistan was rocked by two bomb explosions, leaving at least 38 individuals wounded. One attack occurred in the Mastung district while the other explosion hit the port city of Gwadar just minutes apart.
Gwadar has emerged as a significant geopolitical hub in recent years. China is developing a strategically important port there, sparking widespread speculation among various nations, including India, about China's future role and influence in the region. The area also experiences considerable unrest.
According to senior police officials, attackers on a motorcycle hurled a grenade into a crowd in Mastung's Sultan Shaheed area on Thursday, wounding about 12 people, three critically.
Local officer Gulab Khan reported that the injured were hospitalized, with three in critical condition transferred to Quetta.
In a separate incident in Gwadar's Safar Khan area, two individuals on a motorcycle threw a grenade outside a market at the Al-Zubair Hotel. 'At least 26 people were injured,' local officer Ayaz Baloch stated, adding that all the wounded, including 15 from Sindh and 11 from Punjab, were waiting for work after tea when the blast occurred.
'Three have been admitted to Karachi for treatment,' he continued. The others were admitted to Mastung's district headquarters.
Balochistan's Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri condemned the incidents and directed officials to compile a report on the blasts. Just a day before, a suspected suicide attack in Quetta, Balochistan's capital, targeted a police truck, killing seven officers and one civilian and wounding 22 others.
