Pakistan: 24 people killed after suicide bomber targets train carrying military personnel

At least 24 people have died after a suicide bomber targeted a train carrying military personnel and their families in Pakistan, officials say.

The shuttle service was travelling through the city of Quetta when a vehicle packed with explosives hit one of the carriages in a residential area, with people living nearby among the dead.

Two of the train carriages overturned and caught fire due to the force of the blast, sending black smoke into the air, according to footage online.

More than 70 others were injured in the explosion in the southwestern province of Balochistan, according ​to government and security officials.

Doctors at local hospitals said 20 people were in a critical condition.

The incident took place in an area where security forces are usually stationed.

Several buildings were damaged along with more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media.

The train was carrying passengers from Quetta's cantonment area to connect with ‌the Jaffar Express long-distance train when the blast happened.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident, calling it a "cowardly act of terrorism" in a post on X and offering condolences to the families of the victims.

Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan provincial government, said they "strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives. Terrorist elements deserve no leniency".

A medical emergency was declared at hospitals in the city following the incident, and an investigation has been opened, he said.

Quetta is the capital of insurgency-hit Balochistan province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan.

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, (BLA), which demands independence from Pakistan's central government, has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack in a statement sent to reporters.

The militant group said it targeted a train carrying security personnel, the Associated Press said.

It is one of the separatist groups in the oil and mineral-rich region, where insurgents have often targeted security forces, government installations and civilians as well as elsewhere in the country.

The BLA has previously claimed it was behind similar attacks.

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Authorities in Pakistan have claimed the insurgency has been suppressed, but violence in Baluchistan has persisted.

At least 26 people, including soldiers, were killed in November 2024 when a suicide bomber attacked a train station there.

(c) Sky News 2026: Pakistan: 24 people killed after suicide bomber targets train carrying military personnel