At least 14 people, including three personnel of the Frontier Corps, were killed and 20 others injured after a vehicle-borne suicide bombing targeted a shuttle train in Quetta on Sunday morning, according to the Balochistan government.
The blast occurred near Chaman Phatak shortly after 8am when the train was travelling from Quetta Cantonment to the railway station, officials said.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that the death toll had risen to 14 and said women and children were also among the injured.
Security forces immediately cordoned off the area while teams from the police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), and bomb disposal squad launched investigations and collected evidence from the site.
The explosion derailed three train coaches, including the locomotive, while two coaches overturned. Nearby vehicles and buildings were also damaged, and several cars caught fire following the blast. Rescue officials later controlled the flames after an extensive firefighting operation.
Eyewitness footage from the scene showed heavily damaged train carriages, overturned coaches, and rescue workers carrying injured passengers away on stretchers as security personnel secured the area.
Authorities declared a medical emergency in Quetta hospitals, with doctors, paramedics, and emergency staff called in to assist the wounded. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti was said to be personally monitoring the situation.
Later, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Quetta and jointly chaired a high-level security meeting with CM Bugti. Officials reviewed an initial report presented by the provincial police chief and discussed the ongoing investigation.
The Balochistan government blamed “Fitna al Hindustan” for the attack — a term used by the Pakistani state for militant groups allegedly linked to Indian-backed terrorism in the province.
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the bombing, calling it an attempt to undermine Pakistan’s peace and stability efforts. He vowed that terrorists, facilitators, financiers, and their supporters would be defeated.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also denounced the attack, saying such acts of terrorism would not weaken the country’s resolve to eradicate militancy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, and other senior officials similarly condemned the bombing and expressed solidarity with the people of Balochistan.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed alarm over the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan, warning of increasing attacks on civilians, public infrastructure, workers, and law enforcement personnel across the province.