A powerful bomb has exploded near railway track in southwest Pakistan, wounding more than two dozen

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A A powerful bomb exploded near the railway line More than two dozen people were injured Sunday when a train carrying passengers passed through the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, officials said.

According to images shared online, the force of the explosion caused two of the train carriages to overturn and catch fire, sending thick black smoke into the air.

According to eyewitnesses and images circulating on social media, the attack took place in an area where security forces are usually deployed; Several nearby buildings were heavily damaged and more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road were totaled.

Doctors at local hospitals said more than 30 injured people were being treated, many of them in critical condition.

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which demands independence from Pakistan’s central government, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to journalists. The militant group said it targeted a train carrying security personnel.

Quetta is the capital of the rebel-hit Balochistan province. oil and mineral rich region It has long been the scene of low-level insurgency. Insurgents frequently targeted security forces, government buildings, and civilians in the state and elsewhere in the country.

Balochistan provincial government spokesman Shahid Rind said, “We strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and deeply regret the loss of precious human lives. Terrorist elements do not deserve any tolerance.”

He said that after the explosion, a medical emergency was declared in hospitals in Quetta and an investigation was launched.

Although Pakistani authorities say they have suppressed the rebellion, violence continues in Balochistan.

In 2024, at least 26 people, including soldiers, died when a suicide bomber attacked a train station in Balochistan.