Army Major Martyred, Three Injured Including Child in Quetta IED Blast

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A Pakistan Army Major was martyred, and three others, including a young girl, were injured in a magnetic improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Quetta’s Western Bypass on July 20, 2025. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the assault, which targeted a military vehicle, escalating tensions in Balochistan and underscoring Pakistan’s ongoing battle against separatist militancy.

The attack occurred when two assailants on a motorbike attached a magnetic IED to a military vehicle, which detonated with devastating effect, according to police reports cited by The Express Tribune. Major Anwar Kakar was killed instantly, while the blast injured three others, including a civilian child caught in the explosion’s aftermath. “The attack was a cowardly act aimed at destabilizing the region,” said a police official, as reported by Pakistan Today. The injured were swiftly transported to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for treatment, with authorities cordoning off the area to secure evidence and launch a manhunt for the perpetrators.

The BLA, a separatist group seeking Balochistan’s independence, claimed the attack, releasing a statement asserting it targeted military personnel, per The Balochistan Post. This incident follows a surge in violence in Balochistan, with Pakistan ranked second in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index due to a 45% rise in terror-related deaths, totaling 1,081 last year. President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, stating, “The nation salutes its martyrs and remains resolute against terrorism,” according to a statement from the President’s House. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi echoed this resolve, vowing to bring the culprits to justice.