Security officials investigated the scene of a bomb explosion at a railway station in Quetta, southwestern Pakistan, on Saturday. Arshad Bhatt/AP Hide caption
toggle caption
Arshad Butt/AP
QUETTA, Pakistan – A suicide bomber detonated himself at a railway station in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including soldiers and railway workers, and wounding about 50 others, some seriously. Officials announced that.
The attack occurred as nearly 100 passengers were waiting for a train from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to the garrison town of Rawalpindi, said Hamza Shafqat, a senior government official.
Television footage showed the steel structure of the platform’s roof blown off and a teahouse destroyed. Luggage was scattered everywhere.
Police said the dead included about 12 soldiers and six railway workers.
The separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army said in a statement that the attack was a suicide bombing targeting soldiers at a railway station. The outlawed BLA has been in rebellion for years, seeking independence from Islamabad.
Senior Superintendent of Police Operations Muhammad Baloch said separatists frequently attack soft targets.
“When our own citizens are arrested, we also attack in retaliation. We all have to fight this war. We are resilient. Our team is here and we will do everything we can to We are trying to save many lives.”
Police said some seriously injured passengers died in hospital, raising the death toll.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing in a statement, saying those who orchestrated the attack “will pay a very heavy price” and adding that security forces were determined to eliminate the “terrorist threat”. Ta.
Saturday’s assault occurred when a powerful bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near a vehicle carrying police officers assigned to protect polio workers in the state, killing nine people, including five children, who were nearby. This happened more than a week after he died.
In August, the BLA carried out multiple coordinated attacks on passenger buses, police, and security forces across Balochistan, killing more than 50 people, mostly civilians.
Balochistan, rich in oil and minerals, is Pakistan’s largest province, but also its least populated. It is the heartland of the country’s Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. In addition to separatist groups, Islamic extremists are also active in the province.
The BLA primarily targets security forces and foreign nationals, particularly Chinese nationals who are in Pakistan as part of Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative to build large infrastructure projects. The organization often calls for a halt to all Chinese-funded projects and for workers to leave Pakistan to avoid further attacks.
Last month, the BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that targeted a convoy of Chinese nationals outside Karachi airport, killing two people. The Chinese government has asked Pakistan to ensure the safety of its citizens working in Balochistan and other parts of the country.
