At least 24 killed in railway station bombing in Pakistan’s Quetta

Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group, claims work for ‘suicide’ attack.

At slightest 24 group person been killed and much than 40 wounded successful a bombing astatine a railway position successful Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, according to authorities.

The detonation connected Saturday happened arsenic astir 100 passengers waited connected a level astatine astir 8:45am (03:45 GMT) successful Quetta, nan superior of Balochistan, for a train to Peshawar.

Pakistan’s largest and poorest province, resource-rich Balochistan, is location to separatist equipped fighters and has been a predominant target of deadly bombings. The state borders Afghanistan and Iran.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed work for nan attack, saying successful a connection that a termination bomber targeted troops coming astatine nan railway station.

The outlawed BLA has agelong waged an equipped rebellion seeking independency from Islamabad. It is nan biggest of respective taste insurgent groups battling nan government, saying it unfairly exploits nan province’s state and mineral resources.

“Since nan opening of 2024, we’ve really seen a surge of unit successful Balochistan. So galore attacks connected information forces,” journalist Saadullah Akhter, who witnessed nan aftermath of nan attack, told Al Jazeera.

“But this is nan first clip that nan centre of Quetta has been targeted and it is very shocking to galore people.”

Shahid Rind, a provincial authorities spokesman, said nan bombing seemed to person been a termination attack, but an investigation was ongoing to corroborate nan BLA’s claim.

Security unit were still collecting grounds and assessing nan strength of nan explosion, Akhter said.

Images posted online showed bloodied apparel and different individual items scattered connected nan level arsenic uniformed unit inspected nan area pursuing nan blast.

TV footage showed nan alloy building of nan platform’s tile blown isolated and a beverage stall destroyed arsenic luggage littered nan place.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced nan bombing, saying those who orchestrated nan onslaught “will salary a very dense value for it”, adding that information forces were wished to destruct “the menace of terrorism”.

In August, nan BLA claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks by dozens of assailants who killed astatine slightest 39 people.

Armed assailants killed 20 miners and injured 7 successful October astatine a mini backstage ember excavation successful nan Dukki territory of Balochistan province.

In nan past, equipped groups besides targeted power projects pinch overseas financing – astir notably from China – accusing outsiders of exploiting nan region while excluding residents from nan profits.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies