A suicide bomber targeted a train carrying military personnel and their families in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan on Sunday, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 70 others.
The passenger train was traveling through Quetta, the provincial capital, when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near the tracks. The force of the blast overturned two carriages and ignited a fire, sending thick black smoke into the air. Local hospital officials reported receiving dozens of wounded victims, with at least 20 remaining in critical condition. A medical emergency has been declared across hospitals in Quetta to treat the influx of patients. The attack occurred in a heavily secured zone where security forces are regularly stationed.
Witnesses and social media footage revealed significant destruction, with multiple nearby buildings damaged and over a dozen parked vehicles wrecked along the road. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident on social media platform X, calling it a "cowardly act of terrorism" and offering condolences to the victims' families.Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan provincial government, stated that an investigation has been launched. "We strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives. Terrorist elements deserve no leniency," Rind said.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to reporters. The separatist group, which demands independence from Pakistan's central government, confirmed it intentionally targeted the train carrying security personnel. Balochistan is an oil- and mineral-rich region that has faced a long-running, low-level insurgency.
Separatist groups frequently target security forces, government infrastructure, and civilians. Despite assertions by Pakistani authorities that the insurgency has been contained, severe violence continues to plague the region.
