Bomb blast in Quetta kills 24, injures dozens more
The number of victims in the massacre at the railway station in Pakistan is rising. According to the latest data, at least 24 people have died, and over 40 have been injured due to a bomb explosion in the city of Quetta, the capital of the Balochistan province.
8:12 AM EST, November 9, 2024
Information from the local police indicates that the explosion occurred when a unit of the Pakistani army was returning from military training at the platform. Initial assumptions suggested that the explosive material was placed in abandoned luggage.
"When we reached here, initially it appeared that some explosive had perhaps been hidden or left in the luggage. But now we think it may be a suicide bomber," police officer Muhammad Baloch stated in an interview with AFP.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, emphasizing that the target was soldiers returning from military training and waiting for a train. The number of victims increased from the initially reported 17 to at least 24 killed, with the number of injured exceeding 40 people.
Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province but also one of the poorest. An unstable situation has prevailed there for decades. The ethnic Baloch minority accuses the government in Islamabad of neglecting the region and exploiting its natural resources in cooperation with China.
Separatist groups, such as the BLA, engage in armed struggle for the province's independence, often using terror methods. The attack in Quetta is further evidence of escalating regional tensions and the difficulties in resolving the long-standing conflict.
