TODAY’S PAPER | May 24, 2026 | EPAPER

Over 16 people martyred, several others injured near train blast in Quetta

Blast hits train near Chaman Phatak as families travel home for Eid, CM Bugti vows terrorists will be hunted down


APP/Web Desk May 24, 2026 2 min read
PHOTO: APP

Over 16 people were martyred, and several others sustained injuries in an explosion on the railway track near the Chaman Phatak area of Quetta on Sunday.

According to police sources, the blast occurred near Chaman Phatak when a train carrying passengers was crossing the area. The people on the train were going to their areas to celebrate Eid holidays, sources said.

As a result, 16 people were martyred, and several others, including children and women, suffered injuries. The bodies and the injured are being shifted to the Civil Hospital.

Vehicles parked along the track were damaged as a result of the explosion. Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) reached the site, cordoned off the entire area, and started an investigation.

Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, saying that the "terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children."

He added, "Those who shed the blood of innocent people deserve no leniency."

CM Bugti also issued a warning to terrorist elements in the region, saying "Let the enemy hear this: there will be no safe haven left for terrorists in Balochistan. We will hunt down the terrorists, their facilitators, and their masterminds one by one and bring them to justice, and this war will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated."

Adviser to the Chief Minister of Balochistan Shahid Rind also condemned the attack. "We are deeply saddened and grieved over the loss of precious human lives. Terrorist elements deserve no leniency,” he said.

The adviser noted that CM Bugti is personally monitoring the situation, adding that after the explosion, a medical emergency has been imposed in Quetta's hospitals, with all doctors, paramedical staff, and medical personnel urgently called to duty.

“Investigations have begun, and the involved elements cannot escape the law,” Rind said. He added that the injured are being provided immediate medical assistance and the best treatment facilities.

Read: Security forces kill TTP commander in Balochistan's Pishin

On Saturday, nine suspected terrorists were killed, and four Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials were martyred during a gun battle on the outskirts of Quetta.

The high-stakes intelligence-based operation was carried out by the CTD and allied security forces in the suburban localities of Kuchlak and Nohsar.

Terrorism is a growing problem for Pakistan, with the number of attacks rising every year since 2022, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a global monitoring organisation.

Data from ACLED shows attacks in Pakistan rose nearly fourfold to 2,425 in 2025 from 658 in 2022 and over the same period, attacks by the banned militant Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan increased more than sevenfold to 838 from 118.

Although Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has borne the brunt of terrorism, Balochistan has also remained a major target of Indian proxies, which often target civilians and military installations in the province.

COMMENTS (1)

bari aga | 29 minutes ago | Reply Wrong military policies and continuous failure of intelligence agencies resulting in heavy death tolls for the ordinary citizens. Irony is that there is no check and balance on people operating these intelligence agencies and their failure should be investiageted and respective personnel should be punished for failing to save life of people.
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