QUETTA: At least two individuals lost their lives and another sustained injuries while attempting to defuse an improvised explosive device (IED) in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, a paramilitary official confirmed on Saturday.
The explosion took place in the Ali Chakarani area of Dera Bugti district, where local tribesmen tried to neutralize the explosive device allegedly planted by unidentified militants. According to Nadir Ali, the officer in charge of the Levies station in the region, the deceased were identified as Washu Khan and Muhammad Zahid. The injured person is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital.
“A shepherd reported a suspicious object to the tribesmen early Saturday morning,” said Ali. “Instead of alerting the Levies force or other security agencies, the victims tried to defuse the device themselves, which tragically resulted in the blast.”
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the IED.
Balochistan, the largest yet most underdeveloped province of Pakistan, has long grappled with a separatist insurgency. The violence has surged in recent months, with militants targeting security forces, government officials, infrastructure, and residents from other provinces, whom they regard as outsiders.
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Despite persistent unrest, the Pakistani government has initiated various development projects in Balochistan focusing on infrastructure, health, and education for its approximately 15 million residents. The province also hosts major assets including the strategically significant deep-sea port developed by China, and rich reserves of gold, copper, and coal, along with a lengthy coastline on the Arabian Sea.
In a separate incident last month, an army officer was killed and three civilians — including a child — were wounded in an IED explosion in Quetta’s western bypass area. The blast targeted a private vehicle.
In light of ongoing security threats, the provincial authorities have imposed a 15-day ban on the public display of weapons, pillion riding, and gatherings of more than five people, especially in the run-up to Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day celebrations.