At least 23 people were killed and more than 70 wounded when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a railway track in the south-western Pakistani city of Quetta on Sunday, officials confirmed. The blast occurred as a passenger train was passing through the area, causing two train cars to overturn and catch fire, sending thick black smoke into the sky, according to footage shared online.
Details of the Attack
The explosion took place in a location typically guarded by security forces. Witnesses and images circulating on social media revealed that several nearby buildings were severely damaged, and over a dozen vehicles parked along the road were smashed. Local hospitals reported receiving the wounded, with 20 individuals in critical condition. Three security officials, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the bodies had been transported to hospitals following the attack.
Responsibility Claimed
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which demands independence from Pakistan's central government, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to reporters. The militant group stated it had targeted a train carrying security personnel. Quetta is the capital of insurgency-hit Balochistan province, an oil- and mineral-rich region that has long experienced a low-level insurgency. Insurgents have frequently targeted security forces, government installations, and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.
Official Reactions
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan provincial government, condemned the attack, saying, "We strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives. Terrorist elements deserve no leniency." He added that a medical emergency was declared at hospitals in Quetta and an investigation had been launched. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, strongly condemned the attack, calling it a "cowardly act of terrorism" in a post on X and offering condolences to the victims' families. Balochistan's Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, also condemned the attack, stating that militants had targeted "innocent civilians, including women and children," and vowed to "hunt them down" in a post on X. Bugti and the federal government often use the phrase "Fitna al-Hindustan" to refer to the BLA, alleging Indian backing, which New Delhi denies.
Broader Context
Pakistan's President, Asif Ali Zardari, denounced the bombing, saying militants and their backers sought to undermine Pakistan's role in regional and international peace efforts. The attack came a day after Pakistan stated that the US and Iran were close to reaching a "memorandum of understanding" to end the war in the Middle East that began on 28 February, following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, which disrupted global travel and spiked oil prices. US President Donald Trump said a deal related to the conflict had been "largely negotiated" after calls with regional allies, including Pakistan. Zardari promised that Pakistan would "defeat terrorists, their facilitators, financiers and those providing them safe havens."
Pakistan and India have long had strained relations and fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which both claim in its entirety. Although Pakistani authorities claim to have quelled the insurgency, violence in Balochistan persists. In 2024, at least 26 people, including soldiers, were killed in a suicide bombing at a train station in Balochistan.
