The Kabul Tribune (KT) — More than 30 people were killed in a suicide bombing targeting a train carrying Pakistani security personnel and their families in the southwestern province of Balochistan, officials said Monday, in one of the deadliest recent attacks claimed by separatist militants in the restive region.
According to Reuters, the death toll rose above 30 after a
suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a shuttle train on Sunday
near the provincial capital, Quetta. Two provincial officials, who spoke on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter
publicly, confirmed the updated casualty figures.
The train was transporting security personnel and their
families from Quetta’s army cantonment area to connect with the Jaffar Express
for travel to their hometowns ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday.
The blast derailed the locomotive and three passenger
coaches, while two additional carriages overturned, Pakistan’s railways
ministry said. Images from the scene showed charred vehicles, mangled train
cars, damaged buildings and debris scattered along the railway line as smoke
continued to rise from the wreckage.
Pakistan’s government and military had not released an
official death toll by Monday.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant
group that has waged an insurgency in the mineral-rich province for decades,
claimed responsibility for the attack and described it as a suicide bombing.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the claim.
The BLA accuses the government of exploiting Balochistan’s
natural resources while denying local residents a fair share of the benefits.
The province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is strategically important
and hosts major Chinese-backed development projects, including the deep-water
Gwadar port.
The attack is the latest in a series of assaults targeting
trains, security forces and infrastructure in the province. In March last year,
BLA militants hijacked the Jaffar Express and took hundreds of passengers
hostage. A military operation ended the standoff after more than a day, leaving
21 hostages, four soldiers and all 33 attackers dead.
Earlier this year, Pakistani security forces said they
killed 145 militants following coordinated attacks across Balochistan that left
nearly 50 people dead.
The latest bombing underscores the persistent security
challenges facing Pakistan as authorities continue efforts to contain the
long-running insurgency in the country’s southwest.
