At least 24 people were killed and 46 others injured in a suicide bombing at a railway station in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, on Saturday morning. The attack occurred at the station’s platform as passengers were waiting for the Jaffar Express, scheduled to depart for Peshawar at 9:00 am.
Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat confirmed it was a suicide attack, with the bomber reportedly entering the station carrying luggage. He noted the challenge of preventing individuals with suicide bombing intentions from gaining access.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an ethnic Baloch separatist group designated as a terrorist organisation, claimed responsibility for the attack, citing grievances over the exploitation of Balochistan’s resources and the lack of development in the region. However, the federal government dismissed these claims, attributing the violence to foreign influence manipulating local dissidents.
The bombing comes just a week after a blast in Mastung district near a girls’ school and a hospital killed eight people, including five children. The Quetta explosion also caused significant damage to the platform’s roof, with the blast heard across several areas of the city.
Rescue teams responded promptly, transporting the injured to Civil Hospital Quetta, where an emergency was declared. The hospital added additional medical staff to handle the crisis. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as many of the injured remain in critical condition.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the attack as an “inhumane act targeting innocent civilians,” expressing outrage over the increasing trend of terrorism aimed at civilians, especially women, children, and labourers. He vowed to relentlessly pursue those responsible for the attack.
The incident highlights the escalating violence in Balochistan, which, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has seen a dramatic rise in terrorism-related incidents this year. According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies, the third quarter of 2024 alone saw a 90% increase in violence, with Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounting for 97% of the country’s fatalities.
With the death toll surpassing 1,500 in the first three quarters of 2024, Pakistan has faced an alarming surge in terrorist activities, primarily in the two provinces.
