At least 24 people were killed and more than 50 others injured after a suicide car bomb attack targeted a train carrying Pakistani soldiers in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. The powerful explosion caused multiple train carriages to derail and catch fire, while nearby houses and buildings suffered heavy damage from the blast impact. Disturbing visuals from the scene showed overturned coaches, burnt vehicles, and thick black smoke rising into the sky as rescue teams rushed to evacuate the injured.

The separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, marking yet another major escalation in the region’s long-running insurgency. Authorities declared a medical emergency across hospitals in Quetta, ordering doctors and emergency staff to remain on duty as casualties continued arriving. Security personnel, local residents, and rescue workers were seen pulling victims from the damaged train compartments amid chaotic scenes at the blast site.

The attack comes amid a sharp rise in violence across Balochistan, where separatist groups have increasingly targeted Pakistani security forces as well as Chinese-linked infrastructure projects connected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing, calling it a cowardly act of terrorism and vowing to continue operations against militant groups. The latest incident is expected to intensify security concerns in the region and further strain Pakistan’s internal stability at a time of growing geopolitical pressure.