Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, vowed to continue the country’s fight against militancy after a deadly explosion struck a train in the southwestern city of Quetta, killing at least 24 people.
“Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan,” Sharif said in a statement posted on X. “We remain steadfast in our determination to eradicate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
The blast occurred on Sunday near the Chaman Phatak crossing in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan Province, according to Pakistani media reports. Reuters, citing local sources, reported that at least 24 people were killed and dozens more wounded.
Images from the scene showed derailed train cars, damaged vehicles and thick smoke rising above the area.
Authorities have not yet determined the exact nature of the explosion, and no group has immediately claimed responsibility.
Witnesses said the blast was powerful enough to be heard across much of the city and damaged nearby homes and buildings.
The attack came less than a week after Pakistani security forces reported intense clashes with militants in the northwestern district of Bannu, where authorities said more than 25 militants were killed.
Pakistan has experienced a sharp increase in militant attacks in recent years, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Islamabad has frequently blamed militant groups operating from Afghanistan’s territory for some of the violence, an accusation the Taliban authorities in Kabul have repeatedly denied.
The security issue has become a major source of tension between Pakistan and the Taliban. Pakistani officials have accused the Taliban of failing to prevent groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, from using Afghanistan as a base for attacks. Taliban officials insist they do not allow Afghanistan’s territory to be used against other countries and have accused Islamabad of shifting responsibility for its internal security problems.
The latest attack is likely to add further pressure on Pakistani authorities as they seek to contain a growing insurgency while managing increasingly strained relations with the Taliban.
