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Attack on military train leaves 20 dead in Balochistan
A powerful explosion ripped through a train carrying military personnel and their families in Pakistan's Balochistan region on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 70 others, officials said.
Scene of devastation
The blast occurred as the train passed through Chaman Phatak station in Quetta, the provincial capital, around mid-morning. Railway authorities reported that three coaches and the engine derailed, while two carriages overturned.
Images from the site showed charred, twisted metal from the train cars, nearby vehicles reduced to wreckage, and structural damage to a building adjacent to the tracks.
"The train was in motion with passengers on board when the explosion struck," said Naseer Ahmed, a local resident. "My family was asleep when the blast shattered our windows."
Militant group claims responsibility
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant organization, claimed the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. Pakistani officials have not yet verified the claim.
Witnesses described a vehicle packed with explosives ramming into the train before detonating. Among the dead were three soldiers, according to a police officer and a civil administration official in Balochistan, who warned the death toll could climb.
Government response and emergency measures
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in a statement, calling it a "cowardly act of terrorism" that would not weaken national resolve.
"The entire nation stands with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief," Sharif said.
Hospitals in Quetta declared an emergency to treat the influx of casualties. The train had been transporting military personnel and their families from a nearby base to Quetta's main railway station, where they planned to continue to Peshawar and onward to their hometowns for Eid celebrations.
Escalating violence in Balochistan
The BLA has frequently targeted trains in the region, including multiple attacks on the Jaffar Express over the past two years. In March 2025, militants hijacked a train en route to Peshawar, taking passengers hostage.
The group accuses Pakistan's federal government of exploiting Balochistan's vast mineral resources while local communities see little benefit. The province spans nearly 44% of Pakistan's landmass, borders Iran and Afghanistan, and includes part of the Arabian Sea coastline, yet accounts for just 5% of the country's 240 million population.
Clashes between BLA fighters and security forces flared across Balochistan in early February, resulting in the deaths of 31 civilians.
