Pakistan: Armed Bandits Attack Bus To Quetta, Abduct 25 Passengers

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Armed attackers ambushed a passenger bus bound for Quetta, abducting dozens of travelers as Pakistani forces launched operations and rescued several hostages.
About 15 armed bandits attacked a passenger bus travelling toward Quetta late Monday, wounding the driver and abducting 25 passengers, Pakistani police said in a statement on Tuesday.

Security forces later confronted the attackers in the Katcha area along the Punjab–Sindh border, freeing 10 hostages during an exchange of fire. Two of the suspected bandits were wounded, while operations to rescue the remaining passengers continue.

Police said all access routes into the Katcha belt, a riverine area along the Indus River, have been sealed to prevent the kidnappers from moving the hostages to other locations.

According to officials, the attackers stopped the bus, opened fire, smashed its windows and forcibly dragged several passengers away. Authorities said women passengers were not harmed in the attack.

The Katcha region is notorious for heavily armed criminal gangs, with kidnappings for ransom, highway robberies and violent crime frequently reported in northern Sindh and southern Punjab.

The incident comes amid rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, with Pakistani officials repeatedly accusing armed groups based in Afghanistan of exploiting security gaps to carry out cross-border attacks and criminal activity.

Afghan authorities have rejected the allegations, but recent border skirmishes, stricter crossings and diplomatic exchanges have further strained relations, complicating regional security efforts and heightening concerns over lawlessness in border areas.

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