On Sunday, February 27, a bomb attack was reported in the town of Rakhni, located in the southern Pakistani province of Balochistan. The deputy district commissioner of Barkhan district, Khadim Bhangar, confirmed that four people were killed in the attack in a crowded market. According to Bhangar, the IED was installed on a motorcycle and exploded around 10:00 a.m. local time, allegedly detonated by remote control. In addition to the four fatalities, at least eight people were reported injured, two of them in serious condition. However, other sources reported that the number of injured rose to 14, and a fifth fatality was reported shortly after.
Although no armed group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it comes amid a spike in terrorist violence in Pakistan. Earlier on Saturday, another explosive device was detonated in Khudzar district as a police patrol was passing through the area. This attack was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and resulted in the death of one member of the security forces and the injury of two others, who are in critical condition.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and assured that the terrorists would receive exemplary punishment for their actions. Balochistan’s Prime Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo also condemned the incident and described the attack as a terrorist act. Following the attack, security forces cordoned off the area, collected evidence, and began investigations to find those responsible. Balochistan is a regular scene of violence, with the presence of armed separatist groups, the Taliban, jihadists, and other terrorist groups. Sunday’s blast caused severe damage to several stores located in the market, while the injured were taken to Rakhni and Dera Ghazi Khan hospitals, according to local media reports.