Powerful bomb explosion targets train in Pakistan's Quetta, killing at least 24 - reports

A powerful explosion targeting a train in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta killed at least 24 people and wounded more than 50 on Sunday, according to officials cited in various news reports.

The blast struck near a railway track in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, derailing the train and causing at least two carriages to overturn and catch fire, sending thick black smoke into the air. The explosion was followed by gunfire.

The train was carrying military personnel, and army servicemen were among those killed, according to officials. The train had been traveling from the Quetta Cantonment area at the time of the attack, and some reports indicated it was bound for Peshawar in Pakistan's northwest, carrying army personnel along with their family members.

Reports on the nature of the attack varied. The Associated Press reported that a suicide bomber had detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near the railway track as the train passed, while other reports described a blast on or near the track. Casualty tolls also differed across early reporting, with figures ranging from 19 to 24 killed and more than 50 to over 70 wounded, reflecting the developing nature of the assessment.

The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) was reported to have claimed responsibility for the attack. The BLA, which Pakistan and several governments designate as a terrorist organization, has frequently targeted security forces, government installations, and infrastructure in Balochistan, a resource-rich province at the heart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Separatist groups in the region say Pakistan's government has exploited the province's natural resources without benefiting the local population.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, which he said "resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured."