At least 25 people were killed and dozens injured in a bombing at Quetta railway station in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Saturday morning. The blast occurred as a popular morning train was preparing to depart for Peshawar. The Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack, which police are treating as a suicide bombing.
The explosion took place at approximately 8:25 am, according to Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat, who confirmed that the suicide bomber was carrying an estimated 6-8 kg of explosives. Senior police official Muhammad Baloch reported that both civilian and military personnel were among the casualties, with 14 soldiers confirmed dead.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation, with debris scattered across the platform and victims crying for help. Abdul Jabbar, one of the injured, recalled the terror he experienced as he entered the station. “It was like a judgment day had come,” he said. Another witness, Muhammad Sohail, who arrived shortly after the explosion, described the destruction, saying, “Everything was destroyed at the station, and people were lying on the ground screaming for help.”
The Balochistan Liberation Army stated that the attack targeted a Pakistan military unit returning to Quetta after completing training. This bombing is the latest in a series of deadly attacks in Balochistan, where separatist groups have escalated violence in pursuit of independence and control over regional resources.
Following the explosion, Commissioner Shafqaat urged citizens to avoid the station and nearby medical facilities due to concerns of potential twin attacks. He also appealed to the public to donate blood for the injured. Authorities have since cordoned off parts of the city, initiated snap-checking, and imposed a ban on gatherings.
The commissioner remarked that terrorist groups often “target soft spots on purpose out of frustration,” underscoring the deliberate targeting of vulnerable areas in recent attacks.