Passenger coach attacked near Kalat: Three killed, 7 injured in gunfire

A passenger coach en route from Karachi to Quetta came under gunfire near Kalat, Balochistan, leaving three passengers dead and seven others injured, local police reported on Wednesday.

According to officials, unknown gunmen opened fire on the coach. Among the injured, two are in critical condition. The coach was reportedly carrying between 40 to 50 passengers, although the exact number has yet to be confirmed.

Following the incident, the deceased and the injured were transported to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for medical treatment and necessary legal procedures.

The attackers managed to flee the scene before police arrived. A search operation has been launched in the surrounding areas to track down and apprehend the perpetrators.

This latest assault comes in the wake of a deadly ambush near Zhob, where nine passengers were abducted and executed in a similarly horrifying act of violence.

In that earlier incident, gunmen intercepted a bus traveling from Quetta to Lahore late Thursday night. The attackers reportedly forced selected passengers off the vehicle, moved them to a separate location, and shot them dead after identification, in what officials describe as a targeted act of terror.

Authorities are treating both incidents as part of a disturbing trend of attacks targeting public transport in Balochistan, raising fresh concerns over the security of highways in the province.