Pakistan blast death toll rises to 26, including 14 soldiers

At least 26 people including 14 army personnel were killed in a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, police and other officials confirmed.

Pakistan is grappling with a surge in strikes by separatist ethnic militants in the south and militants in its northwest.

Inspector general of police for Balochistan, Mouzzam Jah Ansari, said, "The target was army personnel from the Infantry School," adding that many of the injured were in critical condition.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement emailed to Reuters.

  

Reuters

Police officers and people gather at the site amid the debris after a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan November 9, 2024.

"So far 44 injured people have been brought to civil hospital," Dr. Wasim Baig, a hospital spokesman, told Reuters.

Senior superintendent of police operations, Muhammad Baloch, said the blast seemed to be a suicide bomb and investigations were underway for more information.

"The blast took place inside the railway station when the Peshawar-bound express was about to leave for its destination," Baloch said.

Case registered

A case has been registered by the railway police with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), the investigation and intelligence unit of Pakistan's provincial police.

CTD officials stated that the case is filed against unknown individuals under charges of murder, attempted murder, and terrorism.

Condemnations pour in

In a statement, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast near Quetta Railway Station.

He offered prayers for those who lost their lives and expressed condolences to their families. The Prime Minister directed priority medical assistance for the injured and requested an investigative report from the Balochistan government.

"Those responsible for harming innocent citizens will pay a high price," he asserted, reaffirming the government's and security forces' full commitment to eradicating terrorism.

In a post on X, the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan condemned the blast, stating, "We stand with Pakistan in working to prevent such acts of terrorism against civilians and soldiers."

The Quetta blast comes almost a week after another one claimed the lives of seven people, including five schoolchildren and a police officer in Balochistan's Mastung district.

Members of a bomb disposal squad collect evidence as they investigate a crime scene after a blast in Mastung, Pakistan November 1, 2024. Reuters

The explosion occurred around 8:35 a.m. and reportedly targeted a police van near a crowded area, local media reported.

"The police van that came under attack was taking personnel for the protection of polio staff," Rahmat Ullah, a senior police officer, told AFP. He added that "there is a girls' school near the place of the attack" in the city of Mastung.

Senior police officer Abdul Fatah told AFP that the victims included a police officer, five children, and a shopkeeper.

With additional reporting by Aamir Abbasi.