Baloch Liberation Army Suicide Bombing Kills At Least 23 Near Quetta Railway Track

A suicide bombing near a railway track in Quetta, Pakistan, killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 70 others as a passenger train passed through the southwestern city on Sunday, according to the Associated Press and Reuters.

The blast occurred in an area where security forces are usually stationed, and the force of the explosion caused two train cars to overturn and catch fire, sending thick black smoke into the air.

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Officials said the attack happened as the train passed through Quetta, and doctors at local hospitals said they had received the wounded, with 20 in critical condition.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which demands independence from Pakistan’s central government, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted a train carrying security personnel.

In a separate account, CBS News said the blast occurred near a railway track in the Faquir Abad area at around 8:00 a.m. local time and described it as a suicide bombing.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack as a “cowardly act of terrorism” on social media, while Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on social media that "innocent civilians, including women and children" were killed.

Muhammad Zeeshan, an emergency worker, said rescue and evacuation operations were still ongoing at the site, and Deputy Superintendent Police (City) Qadir Qambrani said the number of casualties may rise further.

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A man who witnessed the explosion told Reuters, “I can’t even believe how we survived,” adding, “The blast was so huge. Thank God, we made it out alive.”

In a statement carried by the Associated Press, Shahid Rind, a Balochistan provincial government spokesman, said, “We strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives.”

The BLA claimed the attack targeted a train carrying Pakistani security personnel, and CNN reported preliminary findings suggested the explosion was a suicide blast, police said.

Casualty figures varied across outlets, with CNN reporting at least 23 killed and 71 injured, while Anadolu Ajansı said the death toll jumped to 28 as another five injured succumbed to their wounds and the number of injured soared to 90.

Sky News said at least 24 people died and that more than 70 others were injured, and it reported doctors at local hospitals said 20 people were in critical condition.

Authorities cordoned off the area while security forces and bomb disposal teams investigated the nature of the explosion, and an emergency was declared in hospitals in Quetta.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Quetta and chaired a meeting alongside the chief minister of Balochistan province, where Naqvi said, “beasts targeted innocent people with extreme brutality.”

The attack also drew attention to the BLA’s status, with CBS News saying the U.S. State Department has designated the Baloch Liberation Army as foreign terrorist organization, and the Los Angeles Times reporting the BLA is outlawed and demanded independence from Pakistan’s central government.