Devastating Blast at Railway Station Claims 26 Lives, Including 14 Soldiers

Separatist Group BLA Strikes Pakistan’s Balochistan Railway Station, Leaving 26 Dead and Dozens Injured in Railway Station Blast

Quetta, Pakistan — A powerful blast ripped through a crowded train station in Quetta, Balochistan’s provincial capital, on Saturday morning, killing at least 26 people, including 14 soldiers, and injuring dozens more. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, which targeted both civilians and military personnel.

The blast hit around 8:45 am local time (0345 GMT) as passengers waited on the station platform. According to Wasim Baig, a spokesman for Sandeman Provincial Hospital, the victims included 12 civilians and 14 soldiers, with 46 members of the security forces and 14 civilians also wounded. Witnesses at the scene described pools of blood, scattered belongings, and metal debris blown from structures meant to shelter passengers.

Among the casualties was Mohammed Oumer, who sustained injuries while waiting to board a train home.

“Just as we arrived, there was the explosion, and I found myself wounded and in hospital,”

he told AFP.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, promising severe consequences for those responsible.

“The attackers will pay a heavy price,”

a statement from his office read.

BLA, a separatist group that has often targeted government and military forces in Balochistan, stated the attack was aimed at an army unit that had just completed training at Quetta’s Infantry School.

“The attack was carried out…at Quetta railway station,” the group said.

In an initial response, local police were uncertain about the blast’s cause.

“We first thought it was an explosive left in the luggage, but it now seems to have been a suicide bomber,”

said senior officer Muhammad Baloch. Security forces, firefighters, and rescue teams worked to clear the scene while guarding against further threats.

This is not the first time Balochistan has experienced such violence. The resource-rich yet impoverished region has been the site of frequent separatist attacks, often targeting security forces and foreign-funded energy projects, particularly those financed by China. In August, the BLA coordinated assaults that claimed at least 39 lives.

As Pakistan mourns the loss of lives in this devastating attack, authorities are continuing investigations and have heightened security measures across major transport hubs in the region.