A suicide bomb killed 23 people and wounded 70 others on a railway in Pakistan, with the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist militia group, claiming responsibility for the attack on a passenger train.
The suicide bomb attack derailed the passenger train and caused two cars to catch fire, according to the Associated Press. The attack, which occurred in the city of Quetta in the western Balochistan province, marks the latest target from the BLA, which is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the “heinous bomb explosion” in a statement on Sunday morning. Sharif leads the nation’s government in Islamabad, which the BLA has sought independence from throughout the 21st century.
“Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan. We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the swift recovery of the injured. The entire nation stands in solidarity with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief,” Sharif said.
The BLA said in a statement shared with the Associated Press that they targeted a passenger train that was carrying Pakistani security personnel.
Balochistan is the country’s largest province by land area, but the smallest by population by far. The State Department formally designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in August 2025 under the Trump administration, citing multiple suicide attacks that the BLA has claimed responsibility for in their statement.
The terrorist attack comes at a time when Pakistan has been central to the prospect of peace in the Middle East, as Sharif coordinates peace talks between the United States and Iran to put an end to the war in the region.
