The death toll in a suicide attack on a train station in southwest Pakistan has risen to 24

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up at a train station in restive southwestern Pakistan Pakistan On Saturday, at least 26 people, including soldiers and railway staff, were killed and about 62 others were injured, some critically, officials said.

Hamza Shafqaat, a senior government official, said the attack occurred as nearly 100 passengers were waiting for a train bound for the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.

Asked about a security breach that led to the bombing, Shafqaat told reporters that “usually it is very difficult to stop such suicide attacks.”

However, Shahid Nawaz, who is in charge of security at Quetta railway station, insisted that there was no breach as the attacker disguised himself as a passenger and blew himself up amidst the people at the station.

Television footage showed how the steel structure of the platform roof was torn apart and a tea room was destroyed. Luggage was scattered everywhere. Most of the victims were taken to a government hospital, some to a military hospital.

Wasim Baig, a spokesman for the health ministry and police, said over a dozen soldiers and six railway employees were among the dead at the station, where a passage gate was installed to check whether anyone was carrying explosives. Nevertheless, there are several other entrances to the station without such security.

A separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, claimed in a statement that a suicide bomber had attacked troops at the train station. The outlawed BLA has long waged an insurgency seeking independence from Islamabad.

A senior superintendent of police operations, Muhammad Baloch, said separatists often attacked soft targets.

“When their people are arrested, they also attack in retaliation. We all have to fight this war. We are resilient. Our teams are here trying to save as many lives as possible.”

Police said some of the seriously injured passengers died in hospital, increasing the death toll.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing in a statement, saying those who staged the attack would “pay a very heavy price,” adding that security forces were determined to eliminate “the threat of terrorism.”

The Afghan Foreign Ministry also condemned the bombing and expressed condolences to the families of the victims, as did the Russian Embassy in Islamabad.

Saturday’s attack occurred just over a week later a powerful bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near a vehicle carrying police officers deployed to protect polio workers in the province, killing nine people, including five children, who were nearby.

In August, the BLA carried out several coordinated attacks on passenger buses, police and security forces across Balochistan, killing more than 50 people, mostly civilians.

Oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but also most sparsely populated province. It is a hub for the country’s ethnic population Baloch minority whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. In addition to separatist groups, militant Islamists also operate in the province.

The BLA mainly targets security forces and foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals, who are in Pakistan as part of Beijing’s multi-billion dollar attack Belt and Road Initiativethat works on large infrastructure projects. The group frequently calls for a halt to all Chinese-funded projects and for workers to leave Pakistan to avoid further attacks.

Last month, the BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a convoy of Chinese nationals outside Karachi airport that killed two people. Beijing has urged Pakistan to ensure the safety of its citizens working in Balochistan and other parts of the country.

___

Associated Press writer Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.