Two civilians were killed and at least 13 people injured when security forces repelled a suicide vehicle bombing at the Kandawa security post on the N-25 highway in Mastung district, Balochistan, on Thursday, 12 November 2026. Three attackers were killed in the retaliatory operation, police said.

The dead civilians were identified by police as Kaleemullah, son of Abdullah, and Bibi Laiba, daughter of Dil Murad. Three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were among the injured, and the wounded were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. A three-year-old child was among the civilians hurt in the blast, according to details released by local authorities.

What happened at the Kandawa post

According to a statement from the Balochistan Police spokesperson, militants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Kandawa post, which stands on the strategically important N-25 highway linking Quetta with Karachi. Security personnel at the post responded immediately, and the attackers were prevented from carrying out their intended assault.

The explosion was powerful enough to cause extensive damage to the security installation and to civilian property nearby. Several houses in the surrounding area were damaged, and a mosque was also hit by the blast. Security forces cordoned off the area after the attack, and a rescue and relief operation was launched, with a mobile medical team giving first aid to the injured before they were moved to hospital.

Who claimed responsibility for the attack

The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its Majeed Brigade suicide unit and Fateh Squad took part. The group named the alleged suicide bomber as Osama Shahwani, also known by the alias Wadood, and claimed that more than 18 Pakistani personnel were killed.

That casualty claim has not been independently verified, and the official police account differs sharply: three attackers killed, three FC personnel wounded and two civilian deaths. Police attributed the attack to militants associated with what Pakistani authorities describe as Fitna al-Hindustan, a term Islamabad uses for Baloch separatist militant groups. Separate claims circulated about an attack on a military camp in the Kanak area of Mastung, but the relationship between those claims and the police-confirmed assault on Kandawa Post has not been independently established, and the military had not issued a separate public confirmation of the claimed casualties at the time of reporting.

Reaction from Balochistan's leadership

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Provincial Interior Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove condemned the attack and praised the security forces for foiling it. In separate statements, both leaders said attempts to obstruct peace, development and prosperity in Balochistan would not succeed, and vowed that operations against those responsible for attacks on civilians and security personnel would continue.

Mastung, which lies next to the provincial capital Quetta, is one of the districts of Balochistan that has seen repeated militant attacks, suicide bombings and armed confrontations. Its position on the N-25 highway, the main road connecting Quetta with Karachi and the rest of the province, gives it considerable importance for civilian transport, trade and security movement — and has made the route a repeated target. Terror Monitor reported the police account in full, Dawn carried the same casualty figures in its coverage, and IPP News confirmed the details from the police spokesperson.