sectarian violence in quetta: fatal bombing targets army
The number of victims in the massacre at the railway station in Pakistan is rising. According to the latest data, at least 24 people have died, and over 40 have been injured due to a bomb explosion in the city of Quetta, the capital of the Balochistan province.
9 November 2024 11:16
According to information provided by the local police, the explosion occurred when a unit of the Pakistani army returning from military training was on the platform. Initial assumptions suggested that the explosive material was placed in abandoned luggage.
"Initially, we thought that explosive material was placed in the abandoned luggage, but now we believe it was a suicide attack," police officer Mohammed Baloch said in an interview with AFP.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, emphasizing that the target was soldiers returning from military training and waiting for a train. The number of victims increased from the initially reported 17 to at least 24 killed, and the number of injured exceeded 40 people.
Balochistan is the largest but also one of the poorest provinces in Pakistan. An unstable situation has prevailed there for decades. The ethnic Baloch minority accuses the government in Islamabad of neglecting the region and exploiting its natural resources in cooperation with China.
Separatist groups, such as the BLA, engage in armed struggle for the province's independence, often using terror methods. The attack in Quetta is further evidence of escalating tensions in the region and the difficulties in resolving the long-standing conflict.
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