A suicide bombing ripped through a passenger train carrying military personnel in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 70 in one of the deadliest attacks in Balochistan this year.
The blast struck as a train passed through the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province. Officials said an explosives-packed vehicle parked beside the railway tracks was detonated moments before the train crossed, triggering a massive explosion that overturned two carriages and sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos as flames engulfed parts of the train and panicked passengers scrambled for safety. Gunfire was reportedly heard shortly after the explosion in an area heavily monitored by security forces.
Emergency teams rushed the wounded to nearby hospitals, where authorities declared a medical emergency. Doctors said at least 20 victims remain in critical condition, raising fears the death toll could climb further.
Photographs from the scene showed twisted railway carriages, scorched vehicles and shattered buildings lining the road beside the tracks. Several cars were completely burnt out by the force of the blast.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, calling it a “tragic loss of innocent lives” and vowing that those responsible would be brought to justice.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army later claimed responsibility, saying it had deliberately targeted a train transporting security personnel. The separatist group has waged a long-running insurgency against Pakistan’s central government, demanding independence for the resource-rich province.
Balochistan has faced decades of militant violence despite repeated claims by Pakistani authorities that the insurgency has largely been contained. In 2024, another suicide bombing at a railway station in Quetta killed at least 26 people, including soldiers.
Provincial government spokesman Shahid Rind condemned the attack, saying “terrorist elements deserve no leniency” and confirmed that a full investigation had been launched.
The latest bombing is expected to intensify security concerns across Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, where militant attacks on security forces and infrastructure continue to challenge the government’s grip on the volatile region.
