At least 10 killed by car bomb outside Pakistan's security force headquarters

A powerful car bomb outside the headquarters of Pakistan's paramilitary security forces killed at least 10 people on Tuesday and wounded 30 others, authorities said.

Before detonating their vehicle, as many as six militants inside the car stepped outside and engaged troops in an intense shootout, according to the police. All six attackers were reported to have been killed.

Residents said the blast in the southwestern city of Quetta could be heard from miles away. Ambulances rushed to the site in front of the Frontier Constabulary and rescuers transported the wounded to nearby hospitals.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, though suspicion is likely to fall on separatists who often target civilians and security forces in insurgency-plagued Balochistan, where Quetta is the provincial capital.

Provincial health minister Bakhat Kakar said the death toll could rise further. He told reporters that the attackers had targeted the security forces' headquarters, but most of those killed and injured were civilians.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said six attackers were involved in the assault and all of them were killed by the security forces.

Mohammad Usman, who lives near the paramilitary headquarters, said the blast shook the entire neighborhood. "The windowpanes of my house shattered, and part of the building was damaged, but thanks to God we are all safe," he said, adding he heard gunfire following the explosion.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

Local television channels and CCTV footage from the site of the explosion showed images of a car stopping in front of the gate of the paramilitary compound. An explosion follows and gunfire is heard after the blast. Windows of surrounding buildings were shattered and nearby cars were damaged, according to the footage.

In Islamabad, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the bombing and praised security forces for quickly responding to the attack and eliminating the attackers.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also condemned the attack, saying security forces returned fire and killed all the assailants involved in the deadly attack in the city.

"Terrorists cannot break the nation's resolve through cowardly acts, and the sacrifices of our people and security forces will not go in vain," Bugti said in a statement. He said that his government remains committed to making the province a peaceful and secure place.

The attack comes weeks after a suicide bombing outside a stadium near Quetta as supporters of a nationalist party were leaving a rally, killing at least 13 people and wounding 30 others.

Balochistan has long been the scene of insurgency, with groups such as the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army demanding independence from the central government. The separatists have largely targeted security forces and civilians in the region and elsewhere.