On 9 November 2024, at least 32 people were killed and 62 others were injured in a suicide bombing at Quetta railway station in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.[3][4] The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a Pakistani-designated terror group, claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.[5][2] It was the first time that the BLA had attacked the centre of Quetta.[6]
| 2024 Quetta railway station bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the insurgency in Balochistan | |
 A CCTV still of the bombing | |
| Location | Quetta railway station, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 30°11′30″N 67°0′3″E / 30.19167°N 67.00083°E |
| Date | 9 November 2024 c. 8:25 a.m. (UTC+05:00) |
| Target | Pakistani soldiers |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
| Weapons | Explosives |
| Deaths | 32 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 62[1][2] |
| Perpetrators | Balochistan Liberation Army |
| Assailant | Muhammad Rafiq Bizenjo † |
| Motive | Baloch nationalism |
Background
The Quetta Railway Station is a major transport hub in Quetta and one of the largest stations in the province of Balochistan.[7]
Attack
At around 8:25 a.m., a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device on a crowded platform near the ticket office in the station, where around 150 to 200 people were waiting to board a train travelling to Rawalpindi. The explosion damaged the platform's roof and destroyed a tea stall. At least 32 people were killed, including soldiers and railway employees, and another 62 were injured. Several of the victims were taken to the hospital in critical condition.[2][6][3]
The Balochistan Liberation Army, an ethnic secessionist group, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the bombing saying it was carried out by the group's Majeed Brigade.[8] The group said that it targeted soldiers, which the inspector-general of police in Balochistan, Moazzam Jah Ansari, described as being from the "Infantry School".[2][9] The Counter Terrorism Department reported that the bomber had carried 8–10 kilograms (18–22 lb) of explosive material inside a bag.[1][10]
Casualties
Thirty-two people, including the perpetrator, were killed in the bombing and 62 others were injured.[11] The bomber's remains were sent for DNA testing for identification. Twenty-four of the victims were transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and 13 to the Trauma Centre. Hospital officials stated that 25 injured patients were given initial treatment and then discharged.[1]
Perpetrator
On 10 November 2024, the Balochistan Liberation Army released a photo of the bomber and identified him as Muhammad Rafiq Bizenjo. Bizenjo joined the BLA in 2017 under the alias "Washen" and volunteered for a suicide attack in 2023. He joined and took training with the Majeed Brigade for more than a year.[12][13]
Aftermath
Two trains at the railway station, the Jaffar Express and the Bolan Mail, were suspended for four days after the bombing due to security concerns.[14]
The Balochistan government declared three days of mourning from 11 to 13 November while security measures across Quetta were significantly increased.[15]
Reactions
The attack was condemned by Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti, National Assembly of Pakistan speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq,[10] and Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with the foreign ministries of Afghanistan,[2] Iran,[16] Sri Lanka,[17] the United Arab Emirates,[18][19] Jordan,[20] the State of Palestine,[21] and Turkey, and the US mission to Pakistan.[22] World leaders and diplomats including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,[23] United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott[24] conveyed their condolences and condemned the attack.[25]
See also
- August 2024 Balochistan attacks, another BLA attack targeting police and soldiers
References
- ^ a b c Baloch, Mohammad (10 November 2024). "26 die in Quetta railway station suicide bombing". The News International. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Sattar, Abdul (9 November 2024). "A powerful suicide bombing at a rail station in southwestern Pakistan kills at least 26". AP News. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ a b Zehri, Abdullah (9 November 2024). "24 killed, at least 50 injured in blast at Quetta Railway Station". Dawn.
- ^ Gul, Ayaz (9 November 2024). "Suicide blast kills 25 at train station in southwestern Pakistan". Voice of America.
- ^ ur-Rehman, Zia (9 November 2024). "Train Station Suicide Bombing Leaves Dozens Dead or Wounded in Pakistan". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "At least 26 killed in railway station bombing in Pakistan's Quetta". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Quetta Railway Station". railwaystations.pk. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Shahid, Saleem (9 November 2024). "26 martyred in Quetta railway station explosion". Dawn. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Bomb blast at Pakistan train station kills at least 24". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ a b Whitehead, Jamie; Ferreira Santos, Sofia (9 November 2024). "Pakistan suicide bomb blast: At least 25 killed in Quetta railway station explosion". BBC. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Inside the Deadly Quetta Railway Station Attack and Its Aftermath – TBP Report". The Balochistan Post. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "BLA reveals identity of terrorist behind Quetta railway station blast". Dunya News. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "BLA Details Quetta Blast, Says 31 Army Personnel Killed in 'Fidayee' Attack". Balochistan Post. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "Two trains suspended Following Quetta Railway Station Bombing". Aaj English TV. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Balochistan Declares Three Days of Mourning for Quetta Railway Station Attack Victims". Quetta Voice. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Tehran strongly condemns deadly train station blast in Pakistan's Quetta". Tehran Times. 9 November 2024.
- ^ "World leaders condemn deadly terror attack in Pakistan". www.aa.com.tr. 10 November 2024.
- ^ "UAE condemns Pakistan railway station attack". Dubai Eye 103.8. 10 November 2024.
- ^ "UAE strongly condemns terrorist attack at railway station in Quetta, Pakistan". Gulf News. 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Jordan Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack at Pakistan Railway Station". Fana News. Federation of Arab News Agencies. 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemns the Terrorist Attack at Quetta Railway Station in Pakistan". Ministry Of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates Palestine. 10 November 2024.
- ^ "US condemns Quetta bombing". Business Recorder. 10 November 2024.
- ^ "MALAYSIA CONDEMNS SUICIDE ATTACK IN QUETTA, PAKISTAN". Bernama. 11 October 2024.
- ^ "British High Commissioner condemns Quetta attack, calls it divisive act". The Express Tribune. 9 November 2024.
- ^ "World leaders condemn suicide bombing at Quetta railway station". DAWN. 10 November 2024.