Daesh Claims Responsibility for Pakistan Bombing that Killed Three Policemen

The Daesh group has claimed responsibility for a bomb explosion in Pakistan’s Balochistan province that killed three policemen and wounded over a dozen others, Arab News reported. The attack occurred in Mastung city on Tuesday when a bomb planted on a motorcycle targeted a bus carrying 40 policemen.

The Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), Daesh’s regional branch, stated its “soldiers” targeted the “apostate” police. Pakistan has seen increased violence in its Afghan border regions since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Afghanistan of harboring attackers, a claim the Taliban denies.

Balochistan has experienced intensified separatist violence, including a train attack last month that resulted in numerous casualties. IS-K has also claimed attacks on religious minorities, targeted killings of religious scholars, and assaults on security officials. In July 2023, the group claimed a suicide bombing at a political gathering that killed over 54 people. Since the start of the year, over 200 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks by armed groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.