At Least 24 Killed in Bombing of Military Train in Pakistan's Balochistan Province
At least 24 people were killed on Sunday in a bombing targeting a train carrying military personnel in the unstable Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan, a local official reported.
The official, speaking to AFP, said the attack, which occurred in Quetta, the provincial capital, also injured more than 50 people, including soldiers from the Pakistani army.
Images from the scene of the attack show a train car destroyed and overturned, while people searched the rubble for survivors. Others were seen carrying bloodied victims on stretchers away from the derailed car, as armed security forces deployed to the area.
A local official told AFP that the train, carrying military personnel and their families, was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan. The official added that the convoy was passing through a railway signal at Chaman Phatak in Quetta when a car bomb struck one of the train cars, causing a massive explosion. The blast shattered windows and destroyed nearby vehicles.
Another official told AFP that the military personnel were traveling to celebrate the Eid al-Adha festival.
Balochistan is the poorest and largest province in Pakistan, lagging behind the rest of the country in almost all indicators, including education, employment, and economic development. Baloch separatists accuse the Pakistani government of exploiting the region's abundant natural gas and mineral resources without benefiting the local population.
Key Statistics:
- At least 24 people killed in the bombing
- Over 50 people injured, including Pakistani army soldiers
- Train was carrying military personnel and their families
- Attack occurred in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan
- Train was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan
- Bombing occurred at a railway signal in Chaman Phatak, Quetta
- Pakistani government accused of exploiting region's natural resources without benefiting local population
