Pakistan: Pair of IED attacks leave 12 wounded in Balochistan January 6

Event

A pair of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks left at least 12 people wounded in Balochistan province on Sunday, January 6. The attacks took place in Pishin and Panjgur; Hizbul Ahrar, a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar offshoot, claimed responsibility for the Pishin attack, which left ten people wounded. Similar militant attacks are possible in Balochistan province over the near term.

Context

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qa'ida, Islamic State (IS) affiliates, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Afghan Taliban, and other Islamist militant groups continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to drive them from their strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan has suffered several deadly attacks in recent months, including assassinations.

Advice

Individuals in Balochistan province are advised to monitor the situation, remain vigilant for militant activity, and adhere to instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments. As a reminder, due to the high threat of terrorism, kidnapping, and sectarian violence throughout the country, many Western governments advise their citizens against nonessential travel to Pakistan, except to the capital Islamabad.