2024 Quetta railway station bombing

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2024 Quetta railway station bombing
Part of the insurgency in Balochistan
Quetta railway station bombing.jpg
A CCTV still of the bombing
Location Quetta railway station, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
Coordinates 30°11′30″N67°0′3″E / 30.19167°N 67.00083°E / 30.19167; 67.00083
Date9 November 2024
c. 8:25 a.m. (UTC+05:00)
TargetCivilians
Attack type
 Suicide bombing
Weapons Explosives
Deaths32 (including the perpetrator)
Injured55 [1] [2] [3]
PerpetratorBalochistan Flag.svg Balochistan Liberation Army
AssailantMuhammad Rafiq Bizenjo  †
Motive Baloch nationalism

On 9 November 2024, at least 32 people were killed and 55 others were injured in a suicide bombing at Quetta railway station in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. [4] [5] The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack. [6] [3] It was the first time that the BLA had attacked the centre of Quetta. [7]

Contents

Background

The Quetta railway station in 2023 Quetta Railway Station 3.jpg
The Quetta railway station in 2023

The Quetta Railway Station is a major transport hub in Quetta and one of the largest stations in the province of Balochistan. [8]

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. [3] [7] [4]

The Balochistan Liberation Army, an ethnic secessionist group designated as a terrorist organization by China, [9] the European Union, [10] Iran, [11] Pakistan, [12] Russia, [13] United Kingdom, [14] and the United States, [15] [16] issued a statement claiming responsibility for the bombing saying it was carried out by the group's Majeed Brigade. [17] 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". [3] [18] The Counter Terrorism Department reported that the bomber had carried 8–10 kilograms (18–22 lb) of explosive material inside a bag. [2] [19]

Casualties

Thirty-two people, including the perpetrator, were killed in the bombing, and 55 others were injured. [20] 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 initially treated and discharged. [2]

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 trained with the Majeed Brigade for over a year. [21] [22]

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. [23]

The Balochistan government declared three days of mourning from 11 to 13 November while security measures across Quetta were significantly increased. [24]

Reactions

The attack was condemned by Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti, National Assembly of Pakistan speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, [19] and Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with the foreign ministries of Afghanistan, [3] Iran, [25] Sri Lanka, [26] the United Arab Emirates, [27] [28] Jordan, [29] the State of Palestine, [30] and Turkey, and the US mission to Pakistan. [31] World leaders and diplomats including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, [32] United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and British High Commissioner Jane Marriott [33] conveyed their condolences and condemned the attack. [34]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "BLA hijacks Jaffar Express: Notable attacks carried out by Balochistan Liberation Army in Pakistan". India TV. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Baloch, Mohammad (10 November 2024). "26 die in Quetta railway station suicide bombing". The News International . Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 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.
  4. 1 2 Zehri, Abdullah (9 November 2024). "24 killed, at least 50 injured in blast at Quetta Railway Station". Dawn. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024.
  5. ↑ Gul, Ayaz (9 November 2024). "Suicide blast kills 25 at train station in southwestern Pakistan". Voice of America.
  6. ↑ ur-Rehman, Zia (9 November 2024). "Train Station Suicide Bombing Leaves Dozens Dead or Wounded in Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024.
  7. 1 2 "At least 26 killed in railway station bombing in Pakistan's Quetta". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  8. ↑ "Quetta Railway Station". railwaystations.pk. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  9. ↑ "Joint Statement Third Quadrilateral Meeting of Foreign Ministers of China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia_Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China".
  10. ↑ Ricks, Thomas E. (31 March 2016). "Balochistan is seething, and that can't make China happy about investing". Archived from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Joint Statement Third Quadrilateral Meeting of Foreign Ministers of China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia_Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China".
  12. ↑ Raza, Irfan (10 April 2006). "BLA declared terrorist organisation, banned". Dawn. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2006.
  13. ↑ "Joint Statement Third Quadrilateral Meeting of Foreign Ministers of China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia_Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China".
  14. ↑ "Proscribed terrorist groups". Home Office . Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  15. ↑ "Terrorist Designations of Balochistan Liberation Army and Husain Ali Hazzima and Amendments to the Terrorist Designations of Jundallah". U.S. Department of State. 2 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  16. ↑ "US brands BLA as global terrorist group". Dawn News. 2 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  17. ↑ Shahid, Saleem (9 November 2024). "26 martyred in Quetta railway station explosion". Dawn . Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  18. ↑ "Bomb blast at Pakistan train station kills at least 24". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  19. 1 2 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.
  20. ↑ "Inside the Deadly Quetta Railway Station Attack and Its Aftermath – TBP Report". The Balochistan Post. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  21. ↑ "BLA reveals identity of terrorist behind Quetta railway station blast". Dunya News. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  22. ↑ "BLA Details Quetta Blast, Says 31 Army Personnel Killed in 'Fidayee' Attack". Balochistan Post. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  23. ↑ "Two trains suspended Following Quetta Railway Station Bombing". Aaj English TV. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  24. ↑ "Balochistan Declares Three Days of Mourning for Quetta Railway Station Attack Victims". Quetta Voice. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  25. ↑ "Tehran strongly condemns deadly train station blast in Pakistan's Quetta". Tehran Times. 9 November 2024.
  26. ↑ "World leaders condemn deadly terror attack in Pakistan". www.aa.com.tr. 10 November 2024.
  27. ↑ "UAE condemns Pakistan railway station attack". Dubai Eye 103.8. 10 November 2024.
  28. ↑ "UAE strongly condemns terrorist attack at railway station in Quetta, Pakistan". Gulf News. 10 November 2024.
  29. ↑ "Jordan Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack at Pakistan Railway Station". Fana News. Federation of Arab News Agencies. 10 November 2024.
  30. ↑ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemns the Terrorist Attack at Quetta Railway Station in Pakistan". MOFAE. Ministry Of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates Palestine. 10 November 2024.
  31. ↑ "US condemns Quetta bombing". Business Recorder. 10 November 2024.
  32. ↑ "MALAYSIA CONDEMNS SUICIDE ATTACK IN QUETTA, PAKISTAN". Bernama. 11 October 2024.
  33. ↑ "British High Commissioner condemns Quetta attack, calls it divisive act". The Express Tribune. 9 November 2024.
  34. ↑ "World leaders condemn suicide bombing at Quetta railway station". DAWN. 10 November 2024.
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