Islamabad, May 24(HS): At least 27 military personnel were killed and more than 131 others injured in a suicide attack targeting a shuttle train near Chaman Phatak in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, on Sunday morning. The powerful explosion caused three coaches of the train to derail, while two compartments overturned. One of the coaches also caught fire following the blast.

According to a report by The Balochistan Post, Pakistani military personnel were travelling in three coaches of the shuttle train from Quetta Cantonment to Quetta Railway Station on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. The train was reportedly scheduled to be attached to the Jaffar Express at the station. Railway officials stated that a total of 336 passengers were on board the train at the time of the attack.

Authorities confirmed that at least 27 military officers and personnel lost their lives, while more than 131 individuals sustained injuries. Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise further.

Police officials said preliminary investigations suggest that the incident was a suicide bombing. Videos circulating on social media after the blast showed thick smoke billowing from multiple train coaches near the railway tracks. Rescue teams, police personnel, and firefighters rushed to the site immediately after the explosion.

Pakistan’s Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi confirmed the incident. The banned separatist outfit Balochistan Liberation Army later claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the attack had been carried out by the group’s Majeed Brigade. According to the statement, the train was specifically targeted because it was transporting Pakistani military personnel and officers.

Federal authorities said security had been significantly heightened in Quetta and surrounding areas following the attack. Surveillance around railway tracks, railway stations, and other sensitive locations has also been intensified. Emergency measures have been declared in all hospitals across Quetta to handle the large number of casualties.

### Gas Pipeline Blown Up

In a separate development, Baloch Republican Guards spokesperson Dostain Baloch claimed in a media statement that militants had blown up a gas pipeline running from Sui to Karachi near Shahwali in the Kashmore region of Sindh on Saturday night using explosive devices.

The spokesperson warned that such attacks would continue until what he described as the “liberation of Balochistan.”

### Previous Attacks on Rail Infrastructure

The Balochistan Liberation Army has previously targeted railway infrastructure and Pakistani security forces. The group had claimed responsibility for the November 9, 2024, attack on Quetta Railway Station, during which members of the Majeed Brigade allegedly targeted military personnel who had recently completed training at Quetta’s Infantry School.

Later, on March 11, 2025, militants reportedly hijacked the Jaffar Express in the Bolan region. During that operation, the BLA’s Majeed Brigade allegedly took hundreds of Pakistani soldiers hostage before later releasing them under negotiated conditions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar