At least 24 dead after militant attack on train in Pakistan’s Quetta region

At least 24 people have been killed and dozens injured after a powerful bomb blast targeted a train carrying security personnel and their families in southwestern Pakistan, according to officials.

The explosion occurred near a railway track in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province, on Sunday. Authorities said the blast struck a shuttle train traveling from the cantonment area toward the Jaffar Express route.

Security officials said more than 70 people sustained injuries, with several victims reported to be in critical condition. The force of the explosion derailed parts of the train, overturning coaches and damaging nearby buildings and vehicles. Thick smoke was seen rising from the scene as rescue teams searched for survivors.

The separatist militant group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as a suicide operation targeting Pakistani security forces. Officials said the train was believed to be carrying military personnel along with their relatives.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing, calling it a “cowardly act of terrorism,” and vowed that those behind the attack would be brought to justice. President Asif Ali Zardari also denounced the incident and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Balochistan, a mineral-rich province bordering Afghanistan and Iran that has experienced years of separatist insurgency and militant violence. The BLA has increasingly targeted trains, security forces, and infrastructure in recent years.

Emergency operations were ongoing at the time of reporting, while security forces sealed off the area and launched an investigation into the bombing.