Suicide bombing at a railway station in Pakistan… “At least 24 dead and 50 injured.”

The Balochistan Liberation Army separatist group claims that soldiers were attacked at the train station
The death toll is likely to rise as some of the injured are in critical condition.
Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif: “Criminals will pay a heavy price… “Eliminating the threat of terrorism”
“The central government is exploiting the abundance of oil and minerals”… armed struggle for independence

AP News The death toll from a suicide bombing that took place on the 9th at a railway station in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province in central western Pakistan, is at least 24 and the number of injuries continues to rise. increase to at least 50, Pakistani officials. said.

Many of the injured are said to be still in critical condition.

Balochistan director-general Hamza Shafqat said the bombing occurred while around 100 passengers were waiting for a train from Quetta to the army-based city of Rawalpindi, adding that fears that the death toll would rise further as many of the injured were in critical condition.

Pakistani police said the dead included 12 members of Pakistan’s security forces.

The separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) said in a statement that the suicide bomber had targeted soldiers at the railway station. The police said that they are investigating the case. The BLA was banned by the Pakistani authorities and has been fighting for independence from Pakistan for a long time.

TV footage showed the steel structure of the platform’s roof blown away and the platform’s tea stalls destroyed, with passengers’ luggage scattered around.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the bombings in a statement, saying that those who carried out the attacks would pay a “very heavy price,” adding, “Pakistan’s military is committed to eradicating the threat of terrorism.” ” He promised.

Balochistan is the largest but least populated province of Pakistan. However, although it is a place full of oil and minerals, minorities here do not hide their complaints that the central government discriminates against them and takes advantage of them. Apart from the BLA, Islamic militants are also active in Balochistan Province.

The BLA often targets security forces and foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals in Pakistan as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars for Beijing, and insist that all foreign workers leave the country.

Last month, the BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing outside the Karachi airport that killed two Chinese nationals. After that, China asked Pakistan to guarantee the safety of Chinese citizens involved in projects in Balochistan and various regions across the country.

Meanwhile, in the province of Balochistan, a week ago, a powerful bomb exploded on a motorcycle near a vehicle carrying police officers to protect polio workers, killing nine people, including five children.

[서울=뉴시스]