Eleven Killed in Multiple Bombings Amid Balochistan Insurgency in Pakistan

At least 11 people were killed in two separate bombings in Pakistan's Balochistan province, a region marked by increasing militancy and a decade-long insurgency by Baloch separatist groups. One attack involved a suicide bomber targeting a paramilitary convoy in Dasht near the Iran border, killing five including three soldiers; this was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army. Another blast near the Afghan border crossing killed six laborers, with no immediate claim of responsibility. The Pakistani government has responded with a sweeping counter-terrorism crackdown, which human rights groups say includes arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances. Additionally, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing earlier in the month that killed 15 people at a political rally in Quetta, the provincial capital. The violence highlights ongoing tensions related to alleged discrimination and resource exploitation in this mineral-rich, strategically located province.