09 Nov 2024 | 05:24 AM UTC
Pakistan: Baloch Liberation Army claims responsibility for fatal explosion in Quetta, Balochistan Province, Nov. 9 /update 1
Baloch Liberation Army claims suicide bombing at Quetta Railway Station, Balochistan, Pakistan, Nov. 9. Terror threat remains high.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for a large explosion at the Quetta Railway Station, Balochistan Province, Nov. 9. A suicide bombing occurred at around 09:00, killing at least 13 people and injuring over 25 others. The incident also resulted in damage to railway infrastructure. The BLA stated that the attack targeted military personnel onboard the Jaffer Express passenger train as it was preparing to depart the station.
Authorities have cordoned off the impacted area and will likely maintain a heightened security posture as a precaution. Associated localized transport and business disruptions are probable. Counterterror vigilance, such as security patrols and hotel and vehicle checks, are likely across the city as a precaution.
Avoid the impact area until authorities issue the all-clear. Plan accordingly for localized transport disruptions; consider taking alternative routes to circumvent the affected area. Avoid potential militant target sites such as government, security, and diplomatic installations, as well as religious sites. Heed all official transport and security advisories.
The terror threat remains high across Pakistan. Separatist groups, including the BLA, often carry out small-scale attacks on security forces, pro-government leaders, and workers from other parts of Pakistan, mainly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. While most attacks occur in rural areas, one of the BLA's high-profile attacks occurred at the Pakistan Stock Exchange Building in Karachi in 2020. The BLA also often targets development projects in Balochistan associated with the high-profile Chinese-funded China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including the storming of the Gwadar Port Authority complex in March 2024. BLA operatives have previously targeted Chinese interests in areas outside Balochistan Province, most notably a December 2018 attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi. A spike in violence is likely in the coming months due to the launch of a nationwide counterterror operation from late June.
