A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a railway track in Quetta, Pakistan, on Sunday, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 70 others as a passenger train passed through the area, according to officials.
The force of the blast overturned two train cars, which then caught fire, sending thick black smoke into the air, according to footage shared online. The attack occurred in a part of the southwestern city where security forces are typically stationed, damaging several nearby buildings and destroying more than a dozen parked vehicles, witnesses and social media images indicated.
Doctors at local hospitals reported receiving numerous wounded patients, with 20 in critical condition. Three security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that bodies from the scene were transported to hospitals following the explosion.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to reporters, saying it had targeted a train carrying security personnel. The group, which seeks independence from Pakistan’s central government, has frequently carried out operations in Balochistan province.
Quetta serves as the capital of Balochistan, a region rich in oil and minerals that has experienced a long-running low-level insurgency. Insurgents in the area have repeatedly struck security forces, government sites, and civilians both within the province and beyond, officials noted.
"We strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives. Terrorist elements deserve no leniency," said Shahid Rind, the Balochistan provincial government spokesman. He added that a medical emergency was declared at hospitals in Quetta after the blast and that an investigation has been launched.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the incident as a "cowardly act of terrorism" in a post on X and offered condolences to the victims' families. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also condemned the attack, stating that militants had targeted "innocent civilians, including women and children," and vowed to "hunt (them down)."
Bugti and the federal government in Islamabad have often referred to the BLA as "Fitna al-Hindustan," alleging Indian backing for the group. New Delhi has denied any such involvement. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari denounced the bombing, saying militants and their supporters aimed to undermine the country’s contributions to regional and international peace efforts.
The attack took place a day after Pakistan reported that the United States and Iran were nearing a memorandum of understanding to conclude the war in the Middle East that began on Feb. 28 following U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic. That conflict has disrupted global travel and driven up oil prices. U.S. President Donald Trump had indicated that a related deal was "largely negotiated" after discussions with regional allies, including Pakistan.
Zardari pledged in a statement that Pakistan "will defeat terrorists, their facilitators, financiers and those providing them safe havens." Relations between Pakistan and India remain strained, with the two nations having fought multiple wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Although Pakistani authorities have claimed to have reduced insurgent activity, violence in Balochistan has continued. At least 26 people, including soldiers, died in 2024 when a suicide bomber struck a train station in the province, according to reports.
Local residents described scenes of chaos immediately after the explosion, with emergency services rushing to the site amid the smoke and debris. Hospitals in Quetta worked to treat the influx of injured passengers and bystanders, officials said.
The incident highlights ongoing security challenges in the region, where militants continue to operate despite government efforts to stabilize the area. Investigations into the attack are underway, with authorities examining possible links to broader militant networks.