[hanomantoto]

At least 24 people were killed and more than 40 others injured as a result of a bomb explosion on Saturday, November 9, 2024. The bomb explosion occurred precisely at a train station in Quetta City in southwest Pakistan.

Quetta is the capital of Balochistan Province, which has been struggling with a wave of attacks by separatist ethnic groups that have raised concerns about development projects in the province, whose mineral resources remain untapped. Inspector General of Police of Balochistan Province, Mouzzam Jah Ansari, stated that as of the release of this news, at least 24 people had died due to the bomb explosion at the train station, which is usually busy in the morning or at the time when the bomb explosion occurred.

“The target of this explosion was military personnel from the Infantry school,” said Jah Ansari, who also mentioned that many of the injured victims were in critical condition. Meanwhile, Commissioner of Quetta, Hamza Shafqat, stated that about 16 soldiers were killed.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group claimed responsibility for the bomb attack. The BLA seeks the independence of Balochistan Province, home to 15 million people. The province also shares borders with Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west.

BLA is the largest ethnic group fighting against the Pakistani government. They claim that Islamabad has been unfair in exploiting the province’s gas and mineral wealth.

“So far, 44 injured persons have been taken to the public hospital,” said Wasim Baig, a hospital spokesperson.
Muhammad Baloch, a police officer, said that the bomb explosion was likely a suicide bombing. Investigations are ongoing to gather more information. The bomb explosion occurred inside the station as the Peshawar-bound train was departing from the station towards its destination.

Previously in August 2024, at least 73 people were killed in Balochistan Province after separatist members attacked several police posts, railway tracks, and highways. The August attacks were the largest by separatist militants in decades in an attempt to seize Balochistan Province from Pakistan. Balochistan Province has been a host to Chinese projects such as ports, gold mines, and copper mines.

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