Quetta station bombing kills at least 26 in one of Pakistan’s deadliest attacks this year

# Quetta station bombing kills at least 26 in one of Pakistan’s deadliest attacks this year

A bombing at a crowded railway station in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, killed at least 26 people and wounded more than 60 others, according to police and health officials.

The explosion hit as nearly 100 passengers waited on the platform for a train to Peshawar. Officials said the death toll rose to 26 and that 62 people were wounded, many of them critically. The victims included more than a dozen soldiers and six railway employees, showing how indiscriminate the attack was even if the intended target may have been military personnel.

The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility, saying in a statement that a suicide bomber had targeted troops at the station. Authorities said the incident appeared to be a suicide attack, but the investigation was still underway. The group’s claim, and the scale of the casualties, made the bombing one of the most serious security incidents in the province this year.

Balochistan has long been Pakistan’s most restive province. Separatist groups have fought the central government for years, accusing Islamabad of exploiting the region’s gas and mineral wealth while failing to share the benefits with local residents. The province also borders Afghanistan and Iran, adding to its security complexity.

The attack was notable because it struck the center of Quetta itself, not just a remote road or border area. A journalist who witnessed the aftermath said the blast was especially shocking because it hit the city center, where many people had not expected such a large attack.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and promised that those responsible would pay a heavy price. The government has also been pursuing a long-running military operation against separatist groups in Balochistan, though rights groups have accused the security forces of serious abuses against Baloch activists and civilians.

The broader pattern is one of escalating violence. Armed groups have repeatedly targeted security forces, infrastructure and workers associated with major economic projects, including those tied to Chinese investment. That makes the railway station bombing part of a wider insurgency rather than an isolated act.

The Quetta attack combined public fear, security vulnerability and a high civilian toll. Even by the standards of Balochistan’s long conflict, the fact that a railway station in the provincial capital could be turned into a mass casualty scene will intensify concern about how much more exposed the region has become.