2026 Quetta train bombing
Train bombing in Quetta, Pakistan
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On 24 May 2026, a vehicle-borne suicide bombing targeted a shuttle train near Chaman Phatak in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. The explosion killed at least 47 people and injured 98 others.[1][3]
near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
c. 8:00 a.m. (PKT)
| 2026 Quetta train bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the insurgency in Balochistan | |
 Location of the bombing near Chaman Phatak, Quetta | |
| Location | 30°12′08″N 67°00′09″E near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan |
| Date | 24 May 2026 c. 8:00 a.m. (PKT) |
| Target | Shuttle train carrying security personnel and family members |
Attack type | Vehicle-borne suicide bombing, mass murder |
| Weapons | Explosives-laden vehicle |
| Deaths | 47+, including the perpetrator[1] |
| Injured | 98+[1] |
| Perpetrators | |
| Assailant | Bilal Shahwani ‡‡[2] |
The train was carrying Pakistani security personnel and their family members from Quetta's cantonment area to connect with the Jaffar Express.[4] The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.[4][5]
Background
Quetta is the capital of Balochistan, a province affected by a long-running separatist insurgency. Militants in the province have targeted security forces, government installations, civilians and infrastructure.[6]
Before the 2026 bombing, there had been several high-profile incidents involving railway and security targets in Balochistan, including the 2024 Quetta railway station bombing and the 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking.[6][7]
The BLA has claimed that the Pakistani government profits from Balochistan's mineral resources without sufficient benefit to local communities.[8]
A day before the attack, nine suspected militants and four officials from the Counter Terrorism Department were killed in a shootout on the outskirts of Quetta.[9]
Attack
Shortly after 8 a.m. PKT, an explosives-laden vehicle struck one of the carriages of a shuttle train near Chaman Phatak as the train was travelling through Quetta.[4][10]
Railway authorities said the train was travelling from Quetta Cantonment towards the city's railway station, where passengers were to connect with the Jaffar Express.[10] Reuters, citing Pakistan's railways ministry, reported that the blast derailed the engine and three coaches, and that two coaches overturned.[4]
The explosion occurred in a residential area and damaged nearby buildings and vehicles.[4][5] Images and videos from the scene showed burned vehicles, damaged buildings, smoke and train carriages on their sides.[4][11]
Police, the Counter-Terrorism Department, bomb disposal personnel, security forces and rescue workers responded to the site. Pakistan Railways dispatched rescue trucks and a relief train.[10]
Casualties
Rescue officials said 47 people were killed, including 20 soldiers, and 98 others were injured.[1]
Officials said security personnel, passengers, bystanders and residents of nearby houses were among the casualties.[10][4] The Balochistan government said three Frontier Corps personnel and a family of four were among those killed.[10] Women and children were also reported among the injured.[10][12]
A medical emergency was declared in public hospitals in Quetta, and doctors, paramedics and other staff were ordered to remain on duty.[5][10] According to the Associated Press, doctors said 20 of the injured were in critical condition.[13]
Aftermath
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had targeted security personnel on the train.[4][5] Reuters reported that it could not independently verify the group's casualty claim.[4]
Perpetrator
The BLA identified the alleged bomber as 25-year-old Bilal Shahwani, a resident of Killi Sarde, and said he was a member of the Majeed Brigade.[2] Pakistani security forces reportedly raided Shahwani's home and detained several of his relatives.[14]
Reactions
Domestic
Security forces cordoned off the area after the explosion, and the district administration established a control room at the office of the Quetta deputy commissioner. The provincial Home Department also activated a monitoring and coordination cell.[10]
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti, railways minister Hanif Abbasi and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the attack.[10]
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it was alarmed by the security situation in Balochistan and by attacks on civilians, workers, passengers, law enforcement personnel and public infrastructure.[10]
International
China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia condemned the attack.[15]
António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, condemned the attack and wished a swift recovery to those affected.[16]
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States Embassy in Islamabad, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad and Global Affairs Canada also condemned the attack.[17][18][19][20]
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