Attack on train kills at least 20 in Pakistan

At least 20 people have been killed and around 70 others injured after an explosion targeted a passenger train carrying military personnel in Pakistan.

The incident took place on Sunday morning as the train was passing through Chaman Phatak station in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.

Railway authorities told BBC Urdu that the blast caused three coaches and the locomotive to derail, while two additional carriages overturned. The train was reportedly carrying security personnel and their families who were travelling home for Eid holidays.

Officials from the regional government said the separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was behind the attack, describing it as a suicide bombing. The group had earlier claimed responsibility for the incident.

Images from the scene showed severely burnt and destroyed train coaches, damaged nearby vehicles, and structural damage to adjacent buildings.

“The train was moving and passengers were on board when the explosion happened,” said local resident Naseer Ahmed, speaking to the BBC. He added that because it was Sunday morning, many people were asleep at the time, and the blast shattered windows in nearby homes.

Witnesses reported that a vehicle filled with explosives rammed into the train, triggering the explosion.

A police officer and a civil administration official in Balochistan confirmed to BBC Urdu that at least 20 people were killed, including three soldiers, though authorities warned the death toll could rise.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly act of terrorism” and saying it would not weaken the resolve of the Pakistani people. He also expressed solidarity with the people of Balochistan during the tragedy.

An emergency has been declared in hospitals treating those injured in the train blast.

Officials said the passengers were traveling to Quetta’s main railway station from a nearby military encampment. From Quetta, they were scheduled to continue their journey to Peshawar and then onward to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday.

Authorities noted that this is not the first time the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has targeted trains in the region. Over the past two years, the Jaffar Express has been attacked multiple times by the armed group.

In March 2025, militants even hijacked a train en route to Peshawar and held several passengers hostage.

The BLA has long accused Pakistan’s federal government of exploiting Balochistan’s rich mineral resources without allowing local communities to benefit.

Balochistan makes up nearly 44% of Pakistan’s land area and shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan, as well as a coastline along the Arabian Sea. Despite its size, it is home to only about 5% of the country’s population of over 240 million.  (Source: BBC)

Tensions between BLA fighters and Pakistani security forces escalated in Quetta and other parts of the region in early February, resulting in the deaths of 31 civilians.