A deadly suicide bombing struck the home of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and Jhalawan Panel president Shafiqueur Rahman Mengal in Khuzdar, Balochistan, on Wednesday afternoon. At least 17 people were killed and around 30 others injured when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the main gate of Mengal’s residence in Shahzad Town. The blast destroyed parts of the building and nearby structures, followed by multiple explosions that shook the city.

Security forces engaged in over three hours of gunfire with the attackers, using heavy weapons including rocket launchers and grenades. Officials confirmed that among the dead were Mengal’s security personnel and five attackers, some of whom were suicide bombers. Mengal himself remained unharmed. The injured were taken to Khuzdar Teaching Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital, both of which declared emergencies.

Authorities launched a search operation and deployed additional security forces across Khuzdar. The banned separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.