Islamabad, September 18 (HS) : At least three civilians were killed and four others severely injured in two separate landmine explosions in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Wednesday, according to officials. The incidents occurred in the Sui area of Dera Bugti district.

The first blast struck around 7 a.m. in Saghari village, killing a woman, her eight-year-old daughter, and another local resident, Ghulam Nabi, as they stepped outside their home. Eyewitnesses described the explosion as so powerful that the victims’ bodies were unrecognizable.

A second explosion rocked the border area of Yaru, injuring two men, a woman, and her 10-year-old son. Levies personnel rushed to the scene, moving the wounded to Dera Bugti Civil Hospital, where doctors declared two of the victims to be in critical condition.

Security forces, including Levies and Frontier Corps, cordoned off the blast sites and launched a search operation. A team of explosives experts has been dispatched to assess the nature of the devices. No militant group has yet claimed responsibility.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, Pakistan’s security forces killed five militants earlier this week during an intelligence-based operation in Khuzdar district, according to the army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Acting on credible intelligence about terrorist presence, forces launched the raid on the night of September 14-15, seizing weapons, ammunition, and explosives during the encounter.

The crackdown comes days after an explosion in Kech district killed five security personnel, including an army captain, underscoring the persistent insurgency threat in Balochistan.

—————

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar