Quetta (Somalia Today) – A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a railway track as a passenger train passed through Pakistan’s southwestern city of Quetta on Sunday, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 70, officials said.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted a train carrying security personnel, in the latest assault to hit insurgency-wracked Balochistan province.
The blast overturned two carriages and set them on fire, sending thick black smoke into the sky, according to footage shared online.
Witnesses said the explosion damaged several nearby buildings and smashed vehicles parked along the road, in an area where security forces are usually deployed.
Doctors at hospitals in Quetta said they had received dozens of wounded, including around 20 people in critical condition.
Three security officials told The Associated Press that rescuers transported bodies to hospitals after the blast. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
No leniency
“We strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives. Terrorist elements deserve no leniency,” said Shahid Rind, spokesman for the Balochistan provincial government.
He said authorities declared a medical emergency at hospitals in Quetta and opened an investigation into the bombing.
The attack struck the provincial capital as Pakistan faces a renewed wave of violence in Balochistan, a vast, sparsely populated province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
Balochistan is rich in gas, minerals and strategic infrastructure, including routes linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, but remains one of Pakistan’s poorest and most volatile regions.
Separatist militants say Islamabad and outsiders exploit the province’s resources while local people remain marginalised. Pakistani authorities reject that claim and accuse militant groups of attacking civilians, security forces and development projects.
The BLA, one of the most prominent separatist groups in the province, has repeatedly targeted security forces, railway lines, government installations and Chinese-linked projects.
Pakistan has banned the group, while Washington has also designated the BLA and its Majeed Brigade as terrorist organisations.
Rail attacks
Sunday’s bombing followed a series of high-profile attacks on Pakistan’s rail network in Balochistan.
In November 2024, a suicide bomber struck Quetta railway station as passengers waited for a train, killing at least 26 people, including soldiers, in an attack also claimed by the BLA.
In March 2025, BLA fighters hijacked the Jaffar Express in Balochistan after blowing up tracks and opening fire on the train, taking passengers hostage in one of the most dramatic attacks of the province’s long-running insurgency.
Analysts said the hijacking marked a shift in militant tactics, with separatist fighters increasingly targeting rail transport as well as roads, buses and security convoys.
Attacks on trains were once rare in Balochistan, where militants had more often targeted road transport. But railway lines have become part of a wider strategy by separatist groups seeking to stretch security forces and disrupt movement through the province.
Violence has continued in recent days. Pakistani security forces clashed with militants in Balochistan’s Barkhan district last week, leaving five soldiers and seven militants dead, according to the military. The BLA claimed responsibility for that attack.
Insurgency persists
Pakistani officials have repeatedly said the state has weakened separatist networks in Balochistan, but attacks have continued despite military operations and tighter security measures.
The province has also seen protests over enforced disappearances, alleged abuses by security forces and demands for a greater share of local resources.
Rights groups and Baloch activists accuse the state of heavy-handed tactics, while Islamabad says it is fighting armed groups that threaten national security and foreign-backed development.
Sunday’s attack is likely to renew pressure on authorities to secure rail routes through Balochistan, where trains often carry civilians, railway staff and security personnel across long stretches of remote and difficult terrain.
