A powerful bomb blast near a railway track in southwestern Pakistan overturned two passenger train cars and wounded over 30 people on Sunday, officials reported. The explosion occurred as the train passed through Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.
Details of the Attack
The force of the blast caused two carriages to derail and catch fire, sending thick black smoke into the air, according to footage shared online. The attack took place in an area typically guarded by security forces, damaging nearby buildings and vehicles, witnesses said.
Local hospitals received more than 30 wounded individuals, several in critical condition, doctors confirmed. Balochistan government official Babar Yousafzai stated that authorities are investigating the explosion but provided no further details.
Context of Insurgency
Quetta is the capital of Balochistan, an oil- and mineral-rich province that has experienced a low-level insurgency for years. Separatist groups like the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) demand independence from Pakistan's central government, accusing it of exploiting the region's natural resources unfairly. The BLA and other insurgent groups claim that Pakistan forcibly integrated Balochistan after pressuring the Khanate of Kalat to sign a treaty of accession in 1948.
The BLA has a history of targeting civilians and security forces in the province, which is home to nine million ethnic Baloch people. The group routinely attacks natural resource extraction projects, using the mountainous terrain as a haven.
In 2024, the BLA claimed responsibility for an attack near Karachi airport that killed two Chinese citizens and also sent female suicide bombers to target Chinese nationals at a university in protest against Chinese mining operations in Balochistan. No group has yet claimed responsibility for Sunday's blast.
