Pakistan witnessed a massive vehicle-borne suicide attack on a passenger train heading towards Cantt near Chaman Phatak in Balochistan’s Quetta, killing at least 23 and leaving 47 injured.
A massive explosion ripped through the area, causing derailment of the train and a major fire.
According to a local press release: “The act comes after BLA terrorists suffered heavy losses and relentless setbacks at the hands of Pakistan’s Security Forces across Balochistan."
According to initial reports, gunfire was also heard at the scene. Clips accessed by media showed fire raging and plumes of smoke amid the rescue operations.
Ambulances and security forces have reached the spot, and the area was cordoned off.
The N-40 Quetta-Taftan Highway became one of the most tense and strategically sensitive routes in Balochistan, between May 10 and 17, with incidents of armed activity, road blockades, ambushes, and temporary control of highway sections reported from areas including Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, and Washuk, according to a report by The Balochistan Post.
Temporary snap-checking points reportedly remained operational for several hours at different locations, repeatedly affecting traffic movement along the highway. On May 15, the RCD Highway (N-40) was shut down for several hours after a major bridge in Sheikh Wasil, near Nushki in Mastung district, was blown up in an explosion. The same day, convoys carrying minerals, chromite-loaded trucks, and Pakistani military vehicles were allegedly targeted, the TBP report stated.
Meanwhile, armed groups reportedly continued snap-checking and control operations for several hours in Nushki’s Mill area. In the Armagaye region of Kharan, trucks transporting minerals were reportedly set ablaze. Separate reports from Basima in Washuk also claimed that a ration supply vehicle linked to the Pakistani military had been seized.
On May 16, the most significant operation was reported from Dalbandin, where armed men allegedly took temporary control of several parts of the city, including a police station. Reports from the incident mentioned heavy clashes, road blockades on the bypass road, seizure of arms and ammunition, and the burning of government vehicles. Later that day, in the Kanak area of Mastung, ambushes reportedly targeted Pakistani military convoys and mineral transport vehicles travelling along the Quetta-Taftan Highway, resulting in casualties and the destruction of at least one military vehicle. Throughout the week, supply routes and convoys connected to the Reko Diq and Saindak mining projects reportedly remained under repeated attack, according to the TBP report.
The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the operations, saying it had established complete control over the N-40 Quetta-Taftan Highway. The group alleged that the route has historically been used for the exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources.
Source: News18