Suicide bomber hits military train in Pakistan, killing 23

A suspected suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a military train in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 23 people and wounding 70 others in an attack claimed by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army, security sources said. The blast occurred along a railway track as the train was heading toward Quetta’s cantonment area, with officials saying the explosion was powerful enough to be heard several miles away, according to police sources. Heavy gunfire erupted following the explosion, prompting authorities to declare an emergency at several hospitals in the provincial capital to treat the influx of casualties.

Attack Aftermath

The victims included civilians alongside military personnel, while multiple houses near the railway line and several vehicles sustained extensive damage in the powerful blast, police sources told Anadolu. Babar Yousafzai, special assistant for the provincial home department, said security forces and rescue teams had reached the scene as police worked to determine the full nature of the attack.

Casualties and Responsibility

The banned Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility in a statement to local media, saying a suicide bomber had specifically targeted military personnel traveling on the train. The group has long sought independence for the resource-rich province and has carried out numerous attacks against security forces and infrastructure projects in recent years.

Restive Region

Balochistan, a mineral-rich region and a major route for the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has long faced militant violence linked to separatist groups seeking independence from Islamabad. The province has witnessed numerous attacks targeting security forces and infrastructure projects in recent years, though Sunday’s bombing represents one of the deadliest recent incidents targeting military transport in the restive southwestern region.