Balochistan: At least 20 people were killed and around 70 others injured after a powerful explosion targeted a train carrying military personnel in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan.
The blast took place near Chaman Phatak station in Quetta while the train was passing through the area. According to railway officials, the explosion derailed the engine and three coaches, while two additional carriages overturned due to the impact.
The shuttle train was reportedly transporting security personnel and their families who were travelling home ahead of the Eid holidays. Authorities in Balochistan blamed the attack on the separatist militant group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), stating that it was a suicide bombing. The group later claimed responsibility for the deadly assault.
I strongly condemn the heinous bomb explosion near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, which has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured.
Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan. We remain steadfast in our…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 24, 2026
Images from the scene showed mangled train coaches, burnt vehicles and extensive damage to nearby buildings. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and destruction moments after the explosion. Witnesses claimed that a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into the moving train before detonating.
Police and civil administration officials confirmed that the death toll had risen to 20, including at least three soldiers, warning that the number of casualties could increase as several victims remain critically injured.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, calling it a ‘cowardly act of terrorism’ and expressing solidarity with the people of Balochistan.
Sharif remarked that, “The entire nation stands in solidarity with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief.” An emergency was declared at hospitals in Quetta to handle the influx of injured passengers.
Officials said the train had departed from a nearby military cantonment and was heading toward Quetta railway station. Passengers were expected to continue onward journeys to Peshawar and other cities for the Eid holiday.
The latest attack adds to growing instability in Balochistan, where separatist violence has intensified in recent years. The BLA has repeatedly targeted railway infrastructure and security forces in the region.
In March 2025, militants hijacked the Jaffar Express while it was travelling to Peshawar, taking several passengers hostage in one of the most high-profile attacks in the province.
The BLA accuses Pakistan’s federal government of exploiting Balochistan’s vast mineral wealth without adequately benefiting the local population. Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area, borders Iran and Afghanistan and stretches along the Arabian Sea coastline. Despite covering nearly 44 percent of the country’s landmass, the province remains sparsely populated and has long struggled with insurgency, poverty and political unrest.
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