Four people killed, several injured in blast near FC fort in Qila Abdullah

Four people were killed and more than a dozen others injured in a car bomb explosion at a commercial market adjacent to the Frontier Corps (FC) fort in the Gulistan area of Qila Abdullah late Sunday evening.

The News quoted Deputy Commissioner (DC) Qila Abdullah, Muhammad Riaz Khan Dawar, as saying: “Four people have been killed and over 20 injured in the blast,” adding that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED)-fitted car was used for the explosion. The vehicle was reportedly detonated via remote control.

“Apparently, the attackers wanted to target the back wall of the FC fort located adjacent to the commercial market,” Dawar added, noting that following the massive blast, a heavy exchange of fire occurred between FC security personnel and the attackers. However, no additional loss of life was reported.

The bodies were transported to a nearby hospital, where they had yet to be identified. Levies forces are currently investigating the incident. Additional security personnel were deployed after the blast, and security was heightened across Qila Abdullah and Chaman.

According to government officials, a few of the injured were being shifted to Quetta owing to the lack of adequate medical facilities in the area.

At the time of the explosion, tribal leader Haji Faizullah Khan Ghabizai was present at his office. He, along with his security guard and a passer-by, was among those injured.

Heavy contingents of law enforcement agencies cordoned off the entire area and launched a search and clearance operation.

Meanwhile, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack on the FC fort.

Pakistan has witnessed a rise in terror incidents since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

However, the first quarter of 2025 has shown a change in trends in Pakistan’s security landscape, with fatalities among militants and insurgents outnumbering the combined losses of civilians and security forces.

Key findings issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) revealed significantly fewer fatalities among civilians and security personnel compared to the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, along with an overall 13 per cent reduction in violence, The News reported.