A suicide bombing at a train station in southwestern Pakistan killed at least 24 people on Friday, according to a senior local government official.
Another 53 people were injured in the attack in the city of Quetta, Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said in a statement.
“The explosion at the railway station was a suicide attack,” the statement said.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group active in the region, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement seen by CNN .
The explosion happened on a platform at the city’s main railway station, said senior police superintendent Muhammad Baloch.
“The explosion happened when a large number of passengers were present on the platform,” he said.
Security forces have cordoned off the area and investigations are ongoing. The province’s chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, ordered an investigation into the case.
In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack.
An insurgency in Balochistan has been raging for decades but has gained momentum in recent years since the deep-water port in Gwadar province was leased to China as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan.
The BLA has been responsible for the deadliest attacks in Pakistan this year, most recently in October when it attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers and investors in the city of Karachi, leaving two Chinese citizens dead.
This content was originally published in Suicide explosion leaves at least 24 dead in Pakistan on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
