Separatist group against army Suicide bomber kills 24 people in Pakistan
A suicide bomber has killed 24 people and seriously injured 50 others with an explosive device at the railroad station in Quetta, Proving Baluchistan, in Pakistan. A separatist group claims responsibility for the attack.
09.11.2024, 10:46
09.11.2024, 12:24
dpa
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- In Quetta, a suicide bomber has killed at least 24 people and injured 50 others, including many police officers, when he detonated a bomb at a busy railroad station.
- The separatist Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted soldiers present at the station.
- Baluchistan, a province rich in raw materials and conflict, is often the scene of BLA attacks, which are also directed against Chinese projects as part of the Silk Road Initiative.
A suicide bomber killed at least 24 people at a train station in the Pakistani city of Quetta. Another 50 people were injured, some of them seriously, according to the authorities in the troubled province of Baluchistan. A separatist group claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the police, around twelve civil servants were among the fatalities.
The Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) announced that a suicide bomber had wanted to hit the soldiers present at the station. According to an administration official, the explosive device detonated as about 100 passengers were waiting for a train to travel from Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, to the garrison town of Rawalpindi. Television footage showed the platform roof's steel structure torn apart and a stall destroyed, while pieces of luggage lay scattered on the platform.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and announced that those responsible would pay a high price for their actions. He added that the security forces were determined to eliminate the threat of terrorism.
Baluchistan province in turmoil
Just over a week ago, a bomb exploded on a motorcycle near a police vehicle. The officers were deployed to protect vaccination workers in Baluchistan. Nine people, including five children, were killed.
Baluchistan, rich in oil and minerals, is the largest but also the most sparsely populated province in Pakistan. The area is a stronghold of an ethnic minority that says it feels discriminated against and exploited by the central government. In addition to separatist groups, Islamists are also active in the province.
The BLA frequently targets security forces and foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals who are in Pakistan as part of the multi-billion dollar Silk Road Initiative. The initiative plans extensive infrastructure projects.
