A SUICIDE car bomb attack on a train carrying soldiers in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan, has killed at least 24 people and wounded more than 50 others.
The Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group, has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.
Reporting from the scene, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said several houses and buildings adjacent to the railway line were severely damaged. The blast caused some train carriages to overturn and catch fire.
According to local media reports, a state of emergency was declared at public hospitals in Quetta, with doctors and other medical staff ordered to remain on duty.
Footage shared online showed charred vehicles and train carriages lying on their sides, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky.
Hyder said Pakistan has experienced several attacks by separatist groups in recent months. The attacks have increased in ferocity and have also targeted Chinese workers due to opposition to Beijing’s infrastructure projects in Balochistan, he added. Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China’s Xinjiang region has been connected to Pakistan’s Gwadar port.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the attack in a post on X.
“Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan. We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he said.
