A bloody bomb attack on a train in Pakistan claimed dozens of lives, the BLA claimed responsibility

At least 24 people were killed and 70 injured in a bomb attack on a train in southwestern Pakistan on Sunday. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility. It was reported by the AFP and AP agencies, writes TASR.

• A bomb attack on a train in Baluchistan kills at least twenty-four people.
• About seventy people were injured in an attack on a train in Pakistan.
• The explosives in the vehicle near the track detonated at the moment the train was passing.
• The explosion overturned and ignited two wagons and damaged nearby buildings.
• The Balochistan Liberation Army admitted to the suicide attack on the train.

The attack took place in the city of Quetta in Baluchistan province, an area where security forces are usually deployed. Explosives loaded in a vehicle near a railway line were detonated as a train passed by.

Explosion and aftermath

According to the AP, the force of the explosion caused two wagons to overturn and catch fire. In the footage, thick black smoke can also be seen rising above the site. According to witnesses and images on social networks, nearby buildings were severely damaged and vehicles parked along the road were destroyed.

The BLA, which is the most active militant group in Balochistan province, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to the media. The United States has designated it as a terrorist organization. The BLA said it was a suicide attack targeting a train carrying military personnel.

Unrest in Baluchistan

Quetta is the capital of Balochistan, which is plagued by unrest. Insurgents there and in other parts of the country frequently attack security forces, government buildings and civilians.

Balochistan is the largest and poorest province of Pakistan, with rich reserves of mineral resources. For decades, it has faced an insurgency by ethnic separatists demanding autonomy and a greater share of revenue from natural resources.