By Mashood Siddiqi
A devastating suicide car bombing targeting a passenger train in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan has killed at least 24 people and injured dozens more, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the region this year. Pakistani officials say the explosion struck near Quetta as a train carrying security personnel and civilians passed through a high-security area.
According to provincial officials, an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the train near the Chaman Phatak crossing in Quetta, causing a massive blast that derailed multiple carriages and set parts of the train on fire. Thick smoke and scenes of chaos followed as rescue teams rushed wounded passengers to nearby hospitals.
The separatist militant group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as a “fidayeen” or suicide-style operation targeting security personnel. Pakistani authorities say both military personnel and civilians were among the dead and injured.
Officials reported that more than 70 people were wounded, with several victims said to be in critical condition. The powerful explosion also damaged nearby homes, shattered windows, and destroyed parked vehicles in the surrounding residential area.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the bombing, calling it a “cowardly terrorist attack” and vowing continued operations against militant groups operating in Balochistan. Emergency measures were declared in Quetta hospitals as security forces sealed off the area and launched an investigation.
The attack highlights the worsening security crisis in Balochistan, where separatist violence has intensified over the past two years. The BLA has repeatedly targeted trains, military convoys, infrastructure, and civilians in the province. In March 2025, the group hijacked the Jaffar Express passenger train, taking hundreds hostage in one of the most dramatic militant operations in Pakistan’s recent history.
Security analysts warn the latest bombing signals a dangerous escalation in the insurgency, especially because the attack targeted a moving train in an urban area. Experts say such operations require extensive planning, intelligence gathering, and coordinated militant networks.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has long faced unrest fueled by separatist groups accusing the federal government of exploiting the province’s natural resources while neglecting local populations. Islamabad rejects those claims and says foreign-backed militants are attempting to destabilize the country.
The latest attack is expected to intensify pressure on Pakistan’s security establishment as authorities struggle to contain rising militant violence across the province ahead of upcoming national security reviews.