Quetta Rail Blast: BLA Claims Fidayee Attack On Jaffer Express; 24 Dead, Many Injured

At least 24 people were killed and many others badly injured after a powerful explosion hit a railway track near Chaman Phatak in Quetta, Balochistan, on Sunday, with the Baloch Liberation Army claiming it was a suicide attack on a train carrying Pakistani military personnel.

The blast took place close to the track used by the Jaffer Express, a passenger train that was scheduled to travel from Quetta to Peshawar. The explosion triggered a fire along the line, sending smoke into nearby residential areas and forcing residents and rescuers to rush towards the site.

Quetta blast: casualties and damage around Chaman Phatak

Police officials said the explosion caused extensive destruction in the neighbourhood around Chaman Phatak. Train coaches were damaged in the impact, while windows and glass panes in nearby houses shattered. Several homes and vehicles parked close to the railway line also suffered damage as the fire spread from the track.

Rescue workers, local volunteers, fire brigade personnel and police officers reached the area soon after the blast. Emergency teams cordoned off the site to manage crowds and begin search and rescue work. Many of those taken to hospital were reported to be in critical condition, according to local reports.

Quetta blast: Baloch Liberation Army claim and official response

Soon after the explosion, the Baloch Liberation Army said its Majeed Brigade carried out what the group described as a fidayeen, or self-sacrificing, assault. The statement alleged the train was transporting personnel from Quetta Cantonment, a key military area in the city.

Balochistan’s Special Assistant for Home Affairs, Babar Yousafzai, said authorities were still gathering verified information about the incident and would share further details later. Yousafzai said all concerned institutions had been placed on alert and urged residents not to crowd the blast site while search and rescue operations continued.

Local media, including Pakistani broadcaster ARY News, cited police sources in reporting that one bogie of the Jaffer Express caught fire in the explosion. Images from the scene showed people and security personnel searching damaged coaches and surrounding areas for survivors near the blackened railway track.

Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, has faced repeated attacks linked to long-running insurgency and militancy in the region. Officials said emergency operations remained underway around Chaman Phatak as investigators examined the blast site and teams assessed damage to train coaches, nearby homes and vehicles.

In its detailed message, the Baloch Liberation Army said: "This morning, the Majeed Brigade, the fidayee (self-sacrificing) unit of the Baloch Liberation Army, targeted a train transporting personnel of the occupying forces from Quetta Cantt in a highly organized fidayee attack. The Baloch Liberation Army accepts full responsibility for this operation. Detailed information regarding the operation, along with the specific material and human casualties inflicted upon the enemy as a result of the attack, will be released shortly in an official statement to the media," the BLA said.