A killed at least 25 people, including 14 soldiers, at a railway station in southwestern Balochistan province, police reported on Saturday. The blast occurred as a train was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar.
Initial reports suggest that the explosion occurred at the booking office of the railway station, just moments before the Jaffer Express was due to arrive at the platform, according to Geo News.
The train, which was set to depart for Peshawar at 9.00am, had not yet reached the platform when the blast took place, PTI reported quoting railway officials.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying that a suicide bomber had targeted troops stationed at the railway station.
Shahid Rind, a government spokesperson, indicated that the bombing appeared to be a suicide attack, although an investigation was still underway to verify the BLA’s claim.
Earlier, Mouzzam Jah Ansari, the inspector general of police for Balochistan, confirmed that the death toll from the blast has reached 24.
“The target was army personnel from the Infantry School,” he said, with many of the injured in critical condition.
“So far, 44 injured people have been brought to the civil hospital,” Dr. Wasim Baig, a hospital spokesman, told Reuters.
Those responsible will pay heavy price: Pakistan PM
Ayesha Faiz, a police official in Quetta, reported that several critically injured passengers later died in hospital, bringing the death toll higher.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing in a statement, warning that those responsible for the attack “will pay a very heavy price.” He added that security forces were committed to eliminating “the menace of terrorism.”
“The blast took place inside the railway station when the Peshawar-bound express was about to leave for its destination,” Muhammad Baloch, senior superintendent of police operations, told Reuters.
In a statement, Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the Balochistan government, confirmed that both police and security forces had arrived at the scene of the explosion. He said that the authorities were actively investigating the nature of the blast.
In August, separatist militants carried out a series of coordinated attacks across Balochistan, killing at least 73 people. Targets included police stations, railway lines, and major highways.
The BLA, which is outlawed, has been leading an insurgency for years, seeking independence from Islamabad.