Two civilians were killed and two others injured on Sunday when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded beneath a civilian logistics vehicle in Quetta, the provincial capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province, according to police sources. The attack, which occurred at approximately 3 pm local time, targeted a vehicle transporting water pipeline material. The bodies of the deceased and the injured were shifted to a hospital in Quetta, police said.

Details of the Attack

The IED was detonated under a civilian vehicle engaged in logistics work, according to police sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. As of Monday, no group had claimed responsibility for the blast. The nature of the target — a supply vehicle carrying infrastructure material — has drawn attention given the broader pattern of militant activity in the province.

Broader Context: Balochistan Under Strain

The attack comes days after the Pakistani Air Force reportedly carried out aerial strikes on residential areas in the Gidar area of Surab, killing over 30 civilians, including women and children, and injuring several others, according to reports. The strikes also caused significant damage to property. The sequence of incidents has intensified scrutiny of the security situation in Balochistan, a province that has seen decades of insurgency and counter-insurgency operations.

Rights Groups and Activists Respond

Sabiha Baloch, a central leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), condemned the earlier air strikes, describing the pattern of civilian killings as 'genocide.' In a post on social media platform X, she said: 'The affected area is surrounded by Pakistani forces, restricting access for rescue teams, medical staff, ambulances, and journalists. Blocking humanitarian assistance and independent documentation compounds the grave human rights violations and demands immediate international attention.' She further urged 'journalists, medical teams, humanitarian organisations, and people around the world to demand immediate access to the affected area and ensure medical assistance reaches survivors.'

Human rights body Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) called for an 'immediate, independent, transparent and internationally monitored investigation' into the incidents. In a statement, the BVJ said: 'The identities and details of those killed and injured must be made public, and those responsible must be held accountable. Protecting civilians, particularly women and children, is a fundamental responsibility of the state, and all military operations must comply with international humanitarian law and the principles governing the protection of civilian life.'

International Community Urged to Act

The BVJ addressed its appeal to the United Nations, UN human rights mechanisms, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and other members of the international community, urging them to end what it called 'silence over the violence and war crimes against civilians in Balochistan by Pakistani forces.' The body warned that 'continued silence of the international community risks allowing such incidents to occur without accountability.'

With no group yet claiming the Sunday IED attack, investigators face the familiar challenge of attribution in a province where multiple armed factions operate. The coming days will likely see pressure mount on Pakistani authorities to establish accountability for both the blast and the reported air strikes.