QUETTA, May 25. /Dunyo IA/. A bomb blast on a passenger train in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan has killed at least 24 people and injured about 70 others, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Three provincial government and security officials confirmed the incident to Reuters on the condition of anonymity.

According to their information, the train was carrying Pakistani security personnel and their families. The incident occurred in Quetta, the provincial capital, as the train was end route from a collection point for a subsequent transfer to a long-distance train.

The explosion occurred near the railway tracks. As a result, the locomotive and three carriages derailed, and two more carriages overturned. Security forces have cordoned off the area and rescue operations are ongoing.

According to a security official, a vehicle packed with explosives crashed into a section of the train in a residential area and some of the deceased may have been inside nearby homes.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was a suicide bombing.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident, calling it a “monstrous bomb blast” and extended his condolences to the families of the victims. He stated that the entire nation stands with the people of Balochistan.

Balochistan region, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, remains a volatile zone where attacks on security forces, infrastructure and transport have intensified in recent years. Authorities have been conducting operations against militants.

As a reminder, in March 2025, BLA militants hijacked a train and took hundreds of passengers hostage. At that time, the military operation concluded with the deaths of 21 hostages, four service members and all 33 attackers.

Photo by “Reuters”