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2018 Quetta Suicide Bombing

SOLVED2018Eastern Bypass area, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Attack

On 25 July 2018, during polling for the 2018 Pakistani general election, a bomb blast occurred outside a polling station in the Eastern Bypass area of Quetta, Balochistan. The attack killed 31 people and injured more than 35 others. According to Hashim Ghilzai, a local administration official in Quetta, the bomber was attempting to enter the polling station, and when police tried to stop him, he detonated his explosives. Pakistan's Bomb Disposal Squad estimated that 18–20 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack.

Responsibility

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the bombing through its Amaq News Agency. The group stated the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber but did not provide further detail or evidence to support its claim.

Aftermath

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) condemned the attack and summoned a report from the Balochistan government. The ECP also suspended internet and cellphone services in several districts of Balochistan following the bombing. Voting at the PB-31 polling station, which had been briefly suspended, later resumed, though voter turnout there remained low.

Reactions

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan condemned the attack, describing it as a "terrorist attack" by Pakistan's enemies "seeking to disrupt our democratic process." He expressed sadness over the loss of life and urged Pakistanis to respond by voting.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) president Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the incident as a "terrorist attack," offering condolences to the families of victims, including police officials who were among those killed or injured, while polling was underway.

Sourcing note

This dossier is based on the Wikipedia article on the 2018 Quetta suicide bombing. Two additional contemporaneous news items from geo.tv and thenews.com.pk are listed as corroborating references cited by that article, but their text was not available for review, so no additional facts have been drawn from them beyond their listing as sources.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2018
Location
Eastern Bypass area, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2018-07-25

    A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a polling station in Quetta's Eastern Bypass area during voting in Pakistan's general election, killing 31 people and injuring over 35.

  2. 2018-07-25

    The Election Commission of Pakistan condemned the attack, summoned a report from the Balochistan government, and suspended internet and cellphone services in several districts of Balochistan.

  3. 2018-07-25

    Polling resumed at the PB-31 polling station after a brief suspension, though turnout remained low.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Hashim Ghilzai

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Local administration official in Quetta who described the attack, stating police attempted to stop the bomber before he detonated his explosives.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Eastern Bypass area, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan

30.1798, 66.9750

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A suicide bombing outside a polling station in Quetta's Eastern Bypass area on 25 July 2018, during Pakistan's general election, killed 31 people and injured more than 35. ISIL claimed responsibility via its Amaq News Agency.
Where did the bombing happen?
Eastern Bypass area, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Pakistan

Sources

  1. 2018 Quetta suicide bombingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. At least 29 martyred in suspected suicide attack outside Quetta polling stationnews · geo.tv · 2026-07-07
  3. Blast leaves 15 injured in Quettanews · thenews.com.pk · 2026-07-07