Pakistan: at least 24 dead in train bomb attack

At least 24 people were killed Sunday in an explosive attack targeting a train carrying soldiers in Pakistan's volatile Baluchistan province, a senior official said.

Soldiers are among the victims of the attack, which occurred in the provincial capital Quetta, which also left more than 50 injured, this official told AFP.

This attack, claimed by the separatist armed group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), was described as a “cowardly” terrorist act by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

"I send my sincere condolences to the families of the victims and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said.

Images filmed at the scene showed a car gutted and lying on its side, while people climbed the rubble in search of survivors.

Residents were also seen carrying bloodied victims away from a derailed train car on stretchers, while armed security forces stood guard.

According to the official interviewed, the train, which transported soldiers and members of their families, linked Quetta to Peshawar, in the northwest of Pakistan.

The train was passing a railway signal at Chaman Pattak in Quetta "when a car bomb hit one of the wagons, causing a loud explosion", he said.

Windows were blown out and vehicles parked nearby were destroyed by the explosion.

Another official told AFP that the military was preparing to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid, which is due to begin on Tuesday.

- "run for cover" -

Balochistan is the poorest province of Pakistan and the largest in area. It lags behind the rest of the country on multiple indicators, including education, employment and economic development.

Baloch separatists accuse the Pakistani government of exploiting the province's natural gas resources and abundant mineral wealth without benefiting the local population.

Mohammad Rahim, who was near the scene of the attack, told AFP that he was sleeping when the explosion shook the neighborhood.

"My family and I jumped out of our beds when we heard a loud bang," he said. “I heard screams and crying from women and children in the building, including my family.”

Another witness, Abdul Basit, told AFP that he was queuing to buy breakfast when he heard the explosion. “People started running for shelter.”

A police official told AFP that the weight of the improvised explosive device used in the attack was around 35 kilograms, adding that security services were investigating whether