May 24, 2026
By Hafiz Ullah Storai Sherani
QUETTA
A blast on Sunday morning, at a railway crossing in the capital city of Balochistan, has left at least 14 people dead and several injured.
The blast targeted a passenger shuttle going toward the main Quetta Cantonment station and was near the Chaman Phatak (gate) shortly after 8 am. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility through its Majeed Brigade wing, saying it targeted military personnel on board travelling for Eid.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other authorities have strongly condemned the incident adding that their fight against terrorism is still continuing. Rescue teams rushed victims to hospitals and security forces secured the site.
President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the attack:
“Pakistan will neither forget not forgive the terrorists or their patrons. The blood of martyrs will not go in vain and every drop of their blood will be accounted for,” he said in a statemen posted by PPP on X
Meanwhile the CM Balochistan Sarfaraz Bugti released a statement.
“The terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children. Those who shed the blood of innocent people deserve no leniency,” he said. “Let the enemy hear this: there will be no safe haven left for terrorists in Balochistan. We will hunt down the terrorists, their facilitators, and their masterminds one by one and bring them to justice, and this war will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.
Shahid Rind, the advisor to Chief Minister Balochistan on Media and Political Affairs, also spoke to the media, adding that the “number of martyrs” also included three personnel of the Frontier Corps. He said that women and children were among those who were injured.
“Terrorists have targeted innocent civilians,” he said, adding that security forces have cordoned off the area.
The blast is believed to be a suicide car bomb blast.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the cowardly and deplorable attack, stating that the loss of so many precious human lives is a tragic incident.
He vowed that the elements responsible for this incident will be held accountable before the law at all costs, and that this war will continue until terrorism is completely eradicated from the country.
The Federal Minister for Railways, Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, also termed the attack “cowardly terrorism” and said that such assaults cannot weaken the national resolve. He directly alleged that anti-Pakistan elements present in India and Afghanistan were sponsoring these terrorist networks and were involved in nefarious activities to spread unrest in Pakistan, adding that their “sinister designs” would never be allowed to succeed, the operational activities of Pakistan Railways will continue uninterrupted, and he has directed the administration to submit an immediate report on the incident. However Afghanistan and India have always rejected such allegations from Pakistan.
A police official who spoke to Voicepk said that because of the impact of the powerful explosion, the train’s engine and three coaches had derailed, while two of the other coaches had turned over.
“The blast was so intense that windows of houses in the residential colony near the crossing were shattered, and fires broke out in vehicles parked outside the homes, affecting approximately 15 vehicles,” he said. “Sounds of heavy gunfire were also heard immediately after the explosion.”
Death everywhere
At the scene of destruction, an eyewitness, Rahimullah, described the situation he saw.
“I was returning from the nearby market with household groceries and passing by this area. I was aware that the train was also meant to pass by. Suddenly I heard a powerful explosion. The blast was so loud that for some time I could not even comprehend what had happened and what I should do. After a while, I saw that the train had derailed off the tracks, and people bathed in blood were strewn everywhere on the ground. Snapping back to reality we began picking up the people and helped shift them to the hospital in vehicles. I myself brought two of the injured persons to the hospital.”
Medical Superintendent (MS), Civil Hospital Quetta, Dr. Hadi Kakar, confirmed the hospital’s situation to Voicepk.
“An emergency has been enforced in the hospital, and basic medical facilities are being provided to all those injured,” he said. “Doctors and paramedic staff are present on duty, and strict security arrangements have been made at the hospital at this time.”
Dr Kakar said that medical aid was being provided to the injured at both Civil Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital (CMH). The victims included women and children.
On the other hand, security forces have cordoned off the area to collect evidence and have started the investigation process. Rescue 1122 teams have been busy all morning in relief operations, while a rescue truck, a relief train, and a crane have been placed at the spot to lift the derailed coaches and get them back on track.
BLA accepts responsibility of carnage
A few hours after the blast, the banned militant organization BLA, or as the state refers to it, the Fitna al Hindustan, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier on May 22, BLA also released an 11-minute video featuring Shaynaz Baloch, its first publicly identified female commander – urging the Pakistan government to “leave Balochistan or face consequences”. The footage shows her and other women in traditional attire and tactical gear marching, handling AK-47s, M4s, grenade launchers, and drones during drills.
The video highlights the BLA’s growing use of women since 2022 and deepening of the province’s divide in a conflict threatening regional stability.
Confusing stats
Confusion seized the nation when varying statistics were released by international news agencies like Reuters (19 fatalities), AP (24 deaths), and the German news agency DPA (30 fatalities and 103 injured) through local police official Hamid ullah Shah, the provincial government has officially confirmed 14 deaths and around 40 injured.
Attack condemned across the board
The Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Provincial Minister for Communication and Works, Mir Saleem Ahmed Khan Khosa, while talking to the media, strongly condemned this train blast occurring ahead of Eid-ul-Azha and termed it a brutal attack against humanity, peace, and Balochistan.
He said that terrorists deserve no leniency as they are enemies of humanity, the entire nation and security institutions stand united against them, and the nefarious designs of anti-state elements will be foiled at all costs.
Mir Rehmat Saleh Baloch, central leader of National Party, and the Deputy Parliamentary Leader in the Balochistan Assembly has strongly condemned the train blast in Quetta, saying that targeting innocent passengers going to their homes to celebrate Eid was a very sad and cowardly act.
“No civilized society in the world allows targeting passengers during war,” he told Voicepk. “Such incidents are a slap in the face of humanity. This tragedy has made the entire Balochistan mourn, such actions are against peace and human values.”
Saleh Baloch demanded that the elements involved in the incident be arrested as soon as possible and brought to justice so that the affected families can get justice. He expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the families of those martyred in the blast, prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and demanded the government to provide the injured with the best medical assistance immediately.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has released a statement saying that it is gravely alarmed by the escalating insecurity across Balochistan, where civilians, workers, passengers, and law enforcement personnel are increasingly vulnerable to violence, abduction, and attacks on public infrastructure. Today’s bombing of a passenger train in Quetta, with multiple casualties and injuries reported, including women and children, marks a deeply disturbing acceleration in attacks on civilians in the province. Equally troubling are reports of repeated incidents in Chagai at the Reko Diq site and in Ziarat, where armed groups have allegedly abducted at least 21 civilians, including one police officer, in the last week, and torched vehicles with apparent impunity. This follows similar attacks in Noshki and Kalat earlier in May where five workers and five police personnel, respectively, were abducted by armed men.
These incidents point to a dangerous erosion of the state’s writ across large parts of the province. HRCP reiterates that it is unacceptable for civilians and non-combatants to be used as bargaining tools in situations of conflict and insecurity. We strongly urge the federal and provincial governments to prioritise civilian protection and ensure accountability for rights abuses by all actors.”
Past attacks
Regarding the background of past attacks on the railway network, the train and railway infrastructure in Balochistan have been targeted previously as well.
In April 2025, the Jaffar Express was hijacked and passengers were taken hostage, after which approximately 30 people lost their lives in an operation conducted by the authorities.
In November 2024, a suicide blast occurred at the Quetta Railway Station at the time of a train’s departure, resulting in the loss of 25 lives.