By 
11-11-2024
Hailey Archer
Team Pakistan Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
On Saturday, November 9th, there was a suicide bomber attack at the railway station in Quetta, Pakistan (Akhter, 2024). Quetta is the capital of Balochistan, the southern province that shares a border with Iran and Afghanistan (Whitehead, 2024). 26 people who were present at the time of the bombing were killed and many were injured; the victims of this attack included security officials and civilians (Akhter, 2024). These people were killed as collateral damage by the suicide bomber who was initially targeting the Jaffar Express going to Peshawar, which can be a busy train service in the morning (Akhter, 2024). The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) took credit for the attack carried out on Saturday (The News International). The BLA was targeting the Pakistani military returning from Quetta; there were 14 military personnel among those killed (Whitehead, 2024).
In an attempt to stop these terrorists, the Pakistani government and Balochistan officials met after the attack to discuss the measures that needed to be put in place to assure the peace and security of the residents in the region (The News International, 2024). The government personnel, as well as security officials present during the attack, did not understand how the attacker was able to bring in the bomb with all the security measures already in place (Akhter, 2024). Since the beginning of the year, there has been a large increase in terrorist-related violence (The News International, 2024). The driving force behind this violence is the desire to have independence from Pakistan and control over local resources in the region (Whitehead, 2024).
Sources and further readings:
Akhter, S. (2024, November 9). ‘Bloodbath’: Railway station bombing in Quetta, Pakistan leaves 26 dead. Al Jazeera. Accessed 21 November 2024. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/9/bloodbath-railway-station-bombing-in-quetta-pakistan-leaves-26-dead
At Least 26 killed in railway station bombing in Pakistan’s Quetta. (2024, November 9). Al Jazeera. Accessed 21 November 2024. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/9/several-killed-in-railway-station-bombing-in-pakistans-quetta
Quetta blast: Centre, Balochistan vow ‘decisive steps’ to crush terrorists with full force. (2024, November 10). The News International. Accessed 21 November 2024. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1249550-quetta-blast-centre-balochistan-vow-decisive-steps-to-crush-terrorists-with-full-force
Whitehead, J., Santos, S.F. (2024, November 10). Pakistan railway bomb blast kills at least 25. BBC News. Accessed 21 November 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm27v28r4y0o
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