6 killed in attack on a school bus in Balochistan; Pakistan points at India

ISLAMABAD: At least six people, including four children, were killed and dozens injured when a suicide car bomb tore through a school bus in Khuzdar district of Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province Wednesday.

The explosion occurred around 7.40 am local time. The bus was carrying nearly 40 students to an Army Public School when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into it, leaving a trail of devastation. Four children, the bus driver's assistant and another person died, while 38 others were injured, some critically. The wounded were rushed to Khuzdar's Combined Military Hospital, with the most severe cases transferred to Quetta and Karachi for further treatment.

Pakistani military's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), swiftly attributed the attack to "Indian proxies", claiming it was a desperate attempt to "spread terror and unrest" after Pakistan's alleged battlefield successes. The accusation came days after a fragile ceasefire between the two nations following four days of military clashes earlier this month.

Pakistan interior minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack as "sheer barbarism", vowing that perpetrators, whom he called "beasts targetting innocent children", would face justice.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though suspicion has fallen on the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army.