Sat Nov 09 16:33:33 UTC 2024: ## Suicide Bomber Strikes Quetta Railway Station, Killing 26
**Quetta, Pakistan** – A suicide bomber targeted passengers waiting to board the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express at Quetta Railway Station on Saturday morning, killing at least 26 people and injuring dozens more. The attack has been claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an outlawed armed secessionist group.
Witnesses described the scene as “Judgement Day” with passengers falling to the ground in a bloody aftermath. Ikhtiar Hussain, a senior ticket inspector, was injured by shrapnel but survived. “It was a view of Judgement Day, because in seconds people smiling at the station fell down on the ground in a bloodbath,” he said from his hospital bed.
Hafiz Allah Ditta, a local mason who was seeing off a friend, described the explosion as “powerful” and said he witnessed police searching passengers’ luggage at the ticket booth. However, he questioned the security measures, asking how the bomber managed to enter the station.
The attack comes amidst a rise in violence in Balochistan province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan. The government has been battling with religious armed groups like ISIL and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, as well as Baloch secessionist groups. Last week, nine people were killed in an IED explosion targeting a police vehicle protecting polio vaccination teams.
Commissioner Hamza Shafqat revealed that CCTV footage showed the bomber disguised as a passenger before detonating his explosives. Muhammad Amir Rafique, another railway employee, witnessed the aftermath, describing a scene of screams, injured passengers, and bodies lying on the floor.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other political leaders have condemned the attack, vowing to punish the perpetrators. However, many are questioning the government’s security measures and demanding answers about how the bomber was able to breach security at the station.
First Piper 