QUETTA, Pakistan — A suicide bombing struck a railway track in Quetta, southwestern Pakistan, on Sunday, killing at least 23 people and injuring more than 70 others, according to officials.
Authorities said a suicide attacker detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near the railway line as a passenger train passed through the area. The blast was powerful enough to derail and set on fire two train carriages, sending thick black smoke into the air, based on footage shared online.
The attack occurred in a heavily monitored area where security forces are usually deployed. Witnesses and images circulating on social media showed significant damage to nearby buildings and more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road.
Doctors at local hospitals said they were treating the wounded, with at least 20 people in critical condition. Security officials said the bodies of the victims were transferred to hospitals following the explosion. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to reporters. The group said it had targeted a train carrying security personnel. The BLA has long sought independence from Pakistan’s central government.
Quetta, the capital of insurgency-hit Balochistan province, has been the site of a prolonged low-level separatist conflict. The resource-rich region has frequently seen attacks on security forces, government infrastructure, and civilians.
Balochistan provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind condemned the attack, saying it targeted innocent civilians. He said a medical emergency had been declared in Quetta hospitals and that an investigation has been launched.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also strongly condemned the bombing, calling it a “cowardly act of terrorism” and expressing condolences to the families of the victims in a post on X.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack as well, saying militants targeted “innocent civilians, including women and children,” and vowed to “hunt them down.”
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari said the bombing was intended to undermine Pakistan’s role in regional and international peace efforts.
The attack comes amid ongoing instability in Balochistan, where authorities say they have largely contained the insurgency but violence continues. In a similar incident in 2024, at least 26 people, including soldiers, were killed in a suicide attack on a train station in the province.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
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- Venus L Peñaflor
