At least 25 people were killed and 53 injured on Saturday morning in a devastating suicide bombing at Quetta’s main train station. The explosion, which happened at about 0900 hours, happened at a time the platform was filled with commuters. Witnesses said there was total mayhem as many people were fleeing in terror while others were posturing or were dead on the floor.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group operating in Pakistan’s restive province of Balochistan, has said that it was behind the attack. The BLA that has been known for previous lethal activities has escalated its activities in the recent past years, especially after the construction of the Gwadar port under the CPEC, which has attracted more foreign direct investment in the province.
The Pakistani Prime Minister, Mr Shehbaz Sharif also expressed anger at the attack as the local police provided security to the area and began a search. Balochistan’s Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, has announced that an investigation will be conducted regarding issues with security at the station. Balochistan has been notorious for the separatists for the longest time, with most of the attacks being launched on government and foreign installations.
