At least 24 killed in railway station bombing in Pakistan’s Quetta
Al Jazeera
Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group, claims responsibility for ‘suicide’ attack.
At least 24 people have been killed and more than 40 wounded in a bombing at a railway station in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, according to authorities.
The explosion on Saturday happened as nearly 100 passengers waited on a platform at about 8:45am (03:45 GMT) in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, for a train to Peshawar.
Pakistan’s largest and poorest province, resource-rich Balochistan, is home to separatist armed fighters and has been a frequent target of deadly bombings. The province borders Afghanistan and Iran.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that a suicide bomber targeted troops present at the railway station.
The outlawed BLA has long waged an armed rebellion seeking independence from Islamabad. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups battling the government, saying it unfairly exploits the province’s gas and mineral resources.
