QUETTA, BALOCHISTAN: A powerful explosion targeted a military train at Chaman Phatak in Quetta this morning, causing bogeys to overturn and vehicles to catch fire, as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after.
The BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch confirmed in a statement issued on May 24, 2026, that the group’s suicide unit Majeed Brigade carried out a highly organized fidayeen attack on a train transporting Pakistani army personnel from Quetta Cantonment. The BLA accepted full responsibility for the operation, stating that detailed casualty figures and further operational information would be released shortly in an official statement.
The train was traveling from the cantonment area toward the city when it was struck by the explosion. At least 23 people were killed and 47 others injured in the attack. Two bogeys overturned as a result of the blast, with one sustaining severe damage due to fire. Around 10 vehicles parked in the vicinity were also damaged, and the force of the explosion shattered windows and glass panels of nearby buildings.
Videos emerging from the scene show vehicles near the railway track engulfed in flames and overturned bogeys lying on the track. An eyewitness at the scene told British broadcaster BBC that the force of the explosion was so powerful that two bogeys overturned, with fire breaking out and causing severe damage to one of them.
The train was packed with passengers traveling home ahead of Eid celebrations when it was targeted. Initial investigations indicate the train had stopped at a paramilitary installation to attach additional bogeys for military personnel returning home for Eid before the attack occurred.
Following the blast, the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express was halted at Quetta Railway Station as a precautionary measure. Emergency has been declared at hospitals across Quetta city as medical staff work to treat the casualties arriving at the facilities.
Pakistani authorities have not yet issued a formal official statement regarding the incident. Casualty figures are still being confirmed as rescue and relief operations remain ongoing at the scene.
The BLA stated that full details regarding human and material losses inflicted in the attack would be released in an upcoming official statement.
This is a developing story. Further details are awaited as rescue operations continue.
