Three kids among five martyred in deadly Pakistan's Khuzdar school bus attack Authorities claim India is behind the plot / VIDEO

At least five individuals, including three schoolchildren, were killed and several others injured on May 21 when a suicide bomber targeted a school bus near Zero Point on the Karachi-Quetta National Highway in Khuzdar.

Local authorities said the explosion occurred as the school bus carrying children passed by a vehicle rigged with explosives, which was parked along the roadside in the busy Zero Point area — a critical junction on the national highway, Caliber.Az reports, citing Pakistani media.

“A vehicle stationed by the roadside contained the explosive device. As the school bus approached, the bomb was detonated remotely,” said a senior police official. He added that investigations are ongoing to determine the exact nature of the device and to identify the perpetrators behind the attack.

Deputy Commissioner of Khuzdar confirmed that the injured were immediately transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for urgent medical treatment. He further confirmed that the blast was a suicide attack and said investigations were underway to identify those responsible.

The Pakistan Army swiftly condemned the attack, accusing India of orchestrating the deadly incident through its proxy terrorist networks. The military described the bombing as part of India’s ongoing campaign of “state-sponsored terrorism” aimed at destabilising Pakistan.

In a strongly worded statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military confirmed that five people, including three children, were martyred and several others wounded in the deliberate attack near Zero Point on the Karachi-Quetta route.

“This cowardly attack was executed by Indian intelligence agencies using proxy organisations, deliberately targeting innocent schoolchildren,” the ISPR statement read.

The statement condemned the assault as a blatant manifestation of the Indian government’s “moral degradation and anti-human policies,” describing it as exposing the “disgusting face” of Indian state terrorism.

Highlighting the regional implications, the ISPR said the attack was a heinous attempt to foment instability in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly following the recent military success in the ‘Bunyan-ul-Marsus’ operation, in which Pakistani forces reportedly dismantled multiple terrorist hideouts.

The ISPR vowed to bring all individuals involved—planners, facilitators, and perpetrators—to justice.

“Such acts will not weaken Pakistan’s determination. Supported by its people, the armed forces will continue their efforts to eradicate Indian-sponsored terrorism from every part of the country,” the statement concluded.

By Tamilla Hasanova