A blast ripped through a school bus in southwestern Pakistan, killing five people, including three children. The bombing occurred in the town of Kuzdar, in the province of Balochistan.
The attack happened when a bomber rammed his vehicle into the bus and detonated explosives. Two teachers and two security personnel were also killed. Dozens of students were injured, with some in critical condition.
No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. But Pakistan’s military quickly blamed neighboring India, a long-time rival, for planning and orchestrating the attack.
“Indian agents are being used by their government to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan, targeting vulnerable targets like children and innocent civilians,” the military said in a statement.
India’s foreign ministry denied the allegations, calling them “baseless”.
Tensions between Pakistan and India have been high since early May, when the two countries exchanged fire across their border for four days. The violence began when gunmen attacked tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 26 people. India accused Pakistan-backed militants of being behind the attack and launched retaliatory strikes against Pakistan.
After a ceasefire was agreed on May 10, India warned that any future terrorist attacks on its soil would be considered an act of war.
Pakistan, which denies any involvement in the Kashmir attack, has accused India of using proxy forces to carry out attacks in Balochistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, aiming to destabilize the country. India has denied the allegations.
The attack on the school bus has raised concerns about the escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Source: the guardian