Recent Appearances...

Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !
Recent Appearances...

India-Pakistan

Pak govt declares Baloch terror groups, organizations as ‘Fitna al Hindustan’

2025-06-07

See here for an example.

[PakExpressTribune] The new designation reflects “true nature and ideology” and “nefarious designs” backed by India, said notification

In a significant development, the federal government has officially designated all terrorist groups operating in Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
as ’Fitna al Hindustan’, accusing India of sponsoring a proxy war through these outfits.

Like the Baloch Liberation Army, I imagine.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior on Saturday, the move stems from "the involvement of some organizations and groups in terrorist activities in Balochistan, which are detrimental to Islamic faith, the illusory sovereignty of Pakistain, and its customary traditions."

The notification further stated that the new designation is intended to reflect "the true nature and ideology" of these groups and their "nefarious designs" sponsored by India.

"All government entities are directed to start the above practice immediately," the notification said, underscoring a concerted effort to reframe the narrative around bad boy violence in the province.

The announcement came as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused India of escalating indirect aggression after what he described as its defeat in a recent security operation dubbed "Marka-e-Haq".

Accusing India of intensifying a proxy terrorism campaign in Pakistain, particularly in Balochistan, he said, "India, after suffering strategic setbacks, has resorted to indirect aggression". "But Pakistain will thwart all such nefarious designs and stand resolute against Fitna al Hindustan and its proxies."

A day earlier, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir had also addressed the ongoing unrest in Balochistan, stating that bad boy groups there were not indigenous but rather acting on behalf of foreign interests.

"These faceless myrmidons are not Baloch. They are agents of disruption sponsored by India," the army chief said, reiterating the armed forces’ stance that separatist violence in the province is externally instigated.

The government’s decision to adopt a new label for Balochistan-based ~~bandidos~~ bad boys mirrors a similar move last year, when the Tehrik-e-Taliban
Taliban

...Arabic for students...
Pakistain (TTP) was officially designated "Fitna al-Khawarij".

At that time, the Ministry of Interior said the term "Khariji" was chosen to expose what it described as the TTP’s misrepresentation of Islam.

Link

International-UN-NGOs

Pakistan elected vice chair of UNSC's Counter-Terrorism Committee

2025-06-05

[GEO.TV] In a significant diplomatic victory, Pakistain has been named vice-chair of the United Nations
...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
Security Council's (UNSC) Counter-Terrorism Committee, tasked with overseeing implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) concerning international anti-terror efforts, according to an official statement issued by Pakistain's mission to UN on Wednesday.

Islamabad has played an active role in promoting the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and made significant contributions to international peace and security, including its role as one of the leading troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions across the world. It was elected to the UN Security Council in June 2024 and replaced Japan in the Asian seat.

Pakistain had been one of the worst victims of terrorism for over two decades as the country loss more than 80,000 lives and thousands more injured.

Pakistain has time and again raised the issued of India sponsoring and backing terrorist groups such as Tehrik-e-Taliban
Taliban

...mindless ferocity in a turban...
Pakistain (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) to carry out attacks inside Pakistain.

Link

India-Pakistan

Baloch Liberation Army reportedly seized control of Sorab city in Pakistan, including police stations, banks, and government buildings

2025-05-31

[X]

The Baloch Liberation Army reportedly seized control of Sorab city in Pakistan, including police stations, banks, and government buildings. Weapons and vehicles were looted and set on fire. pic.twitter.com/maPBBqLDFx
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 30, 2025

Link

India-Pakistan

At least seven troops martyred in IED blast in Balochistan's Mach

2025-05-07

[GEO.TV] At least seven security personnel were martyred in an improvised bomb (IED) blast in Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
's Mach district on Tuesday, according to the military's media wing.

A blurb from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the ~~bandidos~~ Lions of Islam belonging to Indian proxy Baloch Liberation Army targeted security forces' vehicle with IED in general area Mach of Kachhi District.

The ISPR said 42-year-old Subedar Umar Farooq from Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
, 28-year-old Naik Asif Khan from Karak, 28-year-old Naik Mashkoor Ali from Orakzai, 26-year-old Sepoy Tariq Nawaz from Lakki Marwat, 28-year-old Sepoy Wajid Ahmed Faiz from Bagh, 22-year-old Sepoy Muhammad Asim from Karak and 28-year-old Sepoy Muhammad Kashif Khan from Kohat ''made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom''.

It added that sanitisation of the area was being carried out to eliminate any ~~bandidos~~ Lions of Islam present in the area. The ISPR said the perpetrators of the ''heinous act'' would be brought to justice.

"Security forces of Pakistain, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," it added.

The ISPR concluded by saying that nefarious designs of India and its proxies operating on Pak soil would be defeated by the valiant security forces, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and the brave nation of Pakistain.

The attack came amid standoff with India following attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
Kashmir

...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there....
's (IIOJK) Pahalgam area, which claimed lives of 26 people.

New Delhi linked Islamabad to the attack without offering any evidence and took a flurry of punitive measures to downgrade ties, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, revoking visas of Paks, and closing Wagah-Attari border crossing, among others.

Islamabad, in response, ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims, and closing the main border crossing from its side.

Link

Afghanistan

Pakistan urges UN to combat Afghanistan’s illicit arms trade

2025-04-06

[KhaamaPress] Pakistain has urged the UN Security Council to take action against the growing illicit arms trade flourishing in Afghanistan.

Like that would ever work.

Pakistain has urged the United Nations
...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
Security Council to halt terrorists’ access to weapons in Afghanistan. The request comes amid rising concerns about the proliferation of arms to various Death Eater groups.

Pak media reported on Saturday, April 5, that weapons have been supplied to the Tehrik-e-Taliban
Taliban

...mindless ferocity in a turban...
Pakistain (TTP), Baloch Liberation Army, and the Brigades of Majid from Afghanistan. These groups are actively involved in insurgencies across Pakistain.

Sayed Atif Reza, a representative from Pakistain’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, raised alarms at the UN Security Council about the increase in arms trafficking. He urged the council to take serious measures to curb the growing black market for weapons in Afghanistan.

This statement follows a report from a Geneva-based organization, which highlighted a surge in the illegal arms trade in eastern and border regions of Pakistain. The report documents a rise in both light and heavy weapon sales, particularly in areas affected by militancy.

The report, titled "Documenting Access to Weapons in Afghanistan," sheds light on the continued arms trafficking in the region. It shows that weapons from the Soviet era and NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions...
are easily available in informal markets, posing a significant security threat.

The situation in Pakistain has been further complicated by the growing tension between the Taliban and Pakistain. Increased cross-border violence has led to a sharp rise in casualties, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
. March recorded the highest number of casualties in a decade, raising alarms about the stability of the region.

The escalation of Death Eater activity in these regions has made security operations more challenging for Pak authorities. The Taliban’s growing influence in Afghanistan, coupled with its support for Lions of Islam targeting Pakistain, is contributing to the destabilization of the border areas.

This ongoing conflict is straining Pakistain’s security forces, as the influx of weapons from Afghanistan exacerbates the situation. The situation calls for urgent international cooperation to curb the illegal arms trade and address the rising Death Eater threats to Pakistain’s stability.

Link

Home Front: WoT

Washington reluctant to cooperate with Pakistan despite efforts: Foreign Policy

2025-03-15

And so they should be.

[KhaamaPress] Following the surrender of an ISIS member to the United States and President Donald Trump’s praise for Pakistan, Islamabad has become hopeful about renewed cooperation with Washington. However, this move is unlikely to quickly lead to a warmer relationship between the two countries.

Michael Kugelman, a prominent Southeast Asia expert, wrote on Wednesday in Foreign Policy that the relationship between the U.S. and India, alongside Pakistan’s alliance with China, and differing priorities make it less likely for the U.S. to seek deeper cooperation with Pakistan.

The article noted that recent cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistan would not lead to a strategic partnership. After the U.S. attack on Afghanistan, relations and financial aid to Pakistan were increased due to Islamabad’s role in capturing al-Qaeda members and its strategic importance as a transit route for U.S. forces.

However, with the end of the war on terrorism and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan no longer holds a defined place in U.S. foreign policy. Islamabad is now attempting to redefine its position by cooperating with the U.S. to combat ISIS.

The U.S. sees cross-border attacks by ISIS-Khorasan as a security threat to itself and other nations. President Trump, in a joint speech in Congress on March 4, surprised many by thanking Pakistan for helping capture Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of ISIS-Khorasan, who is accused of playing a major role in the 2021 Kabul airport attack.

Despite recent efforts by Pakistan to work with the U.S., the seven-year suspension of U.S. security aid and reduced strategic focus on Pakistan since the U.S. exit from Afghanistan have limited the potential for bilateral cooperation. The U.S. and Pakistan may still find some areas for collaboration, especially through the existing counterterrorism dialogues and intelligence sharing on groups like ISIS-Khorasan, TTP, and the Baloch Liberation Army.

However, the deepening of U.S.-Pakistan security ties is limited by Pakistan’s alignment with China and its focus on TTP, which operates in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, creating a complex situation where cooperation on ISIS-Khorasan may not be enough to overcome broader geopolitical challenges.

Link

India-Pakistan

India main sponsor of terror incidents in Balochistan, says DG ISPR on Jaffar Express attack

2025-03-15

[GEO.TV] Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday termed India main sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
, saying the latest attack on Jaffar Express is the continuation of the same policy.

Addressing a media briefing flanked by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, the DG ISPR said: ''The latest attack in Balochistan and other terrorist incidents that took place in the past—we understand that the main sponsor of these [attacks] is your eastern neighbor.''

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), during Tuesday's attack on the Jaffar Express, blew up train tracks and held over 440 passengers hostage in a day-long standoff with security services in a remote mountain pass in Bolan district.

Link

India-Pakistan

Train Hijacked in Terror attack in Balochistan

2025-03-12

[NYT] Separatist militants hijacked a train carrying more than 400 people in an isolated mountainous area of southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday. The fate of the passengers, dozens of whom the militants said they were holding hostage, was not immediately clear.

The militants, Baloch ethnic fighters, forced the train to stop in the Bolan district of Balochistan Province after opening fire on it, according to railway and police officials. The train was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. It was to pass through several cities, including Lahore and Rawalpindi, near Islamabad.

Courtesy of Skidmark, more from the Daily Mail:

Armed militants have taken 450 passengers hostage and wounded the train driver during a 'terrorist attack' in Pakistan's volatile southwestern Balochistan province, officials said.

The separatist Baloch Liberation Army has threatened to execute all the hostages it has in its custody if the Pakistani authorities attempt to intervene.

'Over 450 passengers onboard are being held hostage by gunmen,' Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway government official in Quetta, the capital of the province, told reporters.

The train was trapped inside a tunnel after the attack, during which it came under fire and the driver was wounded, police and railway officials said.

In a statement, the BLA claimed responsibility for the hijacking and said six military personnel had been killed in the gunfight.

The group said they had taken hostages from the train, including security forces, with the exact number in their custody unclear.

'During this operation, BLA fighters have released women, children, and Baloch passengers, ensuring that all remaining hostages are serving personnel of the occupying forces,' the group said in a statement.

No contact has been established with the 450 passengers and staff aboard the nine-coach train, railway officials told local media.

The Jaffar Express had been on its way from Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it was fired on, officials said.

A decades-old insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region, pressing demands for a share in its resources.

The oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but also least populated province.

It is a hub for the country's ethnic Baloch minority whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government.

The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the South Asian nation's government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources.

Frank G gives us the report from the NY Post:

Pakistani insurgents took over a passenger train carrying an estimated 500 people on Tuesday, with the separatists threatening to kill some 182 hostages if their demands were not met.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) blew up the tracks for the Jaffar Express train traveling through a tunnel in southwest Balochistan, killing at least 20 people in a subsequent shootout before hijacking the locomotive, local officials said.

The BLA claimed it freed all civilians on board the train, keeping about 182 alleged military and police personnel as hostages to exchange for the release of prisoners belonging to the separatist group.

The BLA, who has engaged in “intense” shootouts with responding forces, warned the Pakistani military not to interfere in the intense confrontation or else “all hostages will be executed.”

Balochistan officials have denied that there are any military officers on the train, slamming the attack as “an act of terrorism” threatening the lives of innocent civilians.

Imran Hayat, a senior official for Pakistan Railways, also refuted the BLA’s claim that it only killed Pakistani soldiers, noting that the train conductor was also killed in the assault, CNN reports.

Link

India-Pakistan

US urges citizens to avoid travel to Pakistan amid rising security threats

2025-03-10

[KhaamaPress] The U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory urging American citizens to reconsider their travel plans to Pakistain due to the rising number of terrorist attacks and armed conflicts in the country.

According to a report by Express Tribune on March 8, the U.S. government has labeled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
, and several areas along the Pakistain-India border as "threat areas." These regions are at a high risk of armed conflicts and potential terrorist activity, with the likelihood of violence escalating in the near future.

The State Department warned that Lions of Islam might launch attacks without warning, targeting a range of locations such as transportation hubs, shopping centers, military facilities, airports, universities, and places of worship. This widespread threat poses significant risks to both locals and foreign visitors.

The advisory also pointed out that U.S. diplomats and diplomatic areas in Pakistain have been attacked in the past, raising concerns that public places and vehicles in the country are now vulnerable to similar attacks. The increasing threats have prompted the U.S. to advise its citizens to remain alert when traveling in Pakistain.

Pakistain has yet to respond publicly to this heightened travel advisory. However,
death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate...
the country has seen a surge in violence in recent months, with both the Baloch Liberation Army in Balochistan and the Tehrik-e-Taliban
Taliban

...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan...
Pakistain (TTP) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa continuing to clash with Pak security forces.

The U.S. travel warning underscores the escalating security situation in Pakistain, particularly in regions like Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which have become the epicenter of armed conflicts and terrorist activities. The government’s focus on these areas highlights the growing instability and the challenges faced by local authorities in maintaining law and order.

The ongoing violence, with groups like the Baloch Liberation Army and TTP intensifying their campaigns against Pak forces, points to a broader security crisis in the country. These conflicts not only jeopardize the safety of civilians but also impact the overall stability of Pakistain.

Link

India-Pakistan

China's $240 Million Airport in Terror-Plagued Pakistan Region Entirely Deserted

2025-02-27

[Breitbart] A newly inaugurated, allegedly state-of-the-art international airport in one of Pakistan’s most restive regions appears to have no significant plane traffic in it since its first arrival in late January, multiple reports revealed this week, and has left locals confused and concerned for what it means about their future.

The New Gwadar International Airport is located in Balochistan, home to a separatist terror group and a port that the Chinese Communist Party has identified as critical to its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Pakistan is one of the most enthusiastic participants in the BRI, a global debt trap scheme in which China ensnares poor countries into its control using predatory loans, and has its own wing of the BRI named after it: the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The government of Pakistan has steadfastly supported the development of CPEC with the exception of the term of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a radical Islamist populist who dramatically cut the BRI budget in his government, although not without paying lip service to China’s alleged wisdom and development foresight. It has faced tremendous challenges to finance BRI projects and significant security problems, particularly in Gwadar, where the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has made Chinese citizens a target.

The New Gwadar International Airport is estimated to have cost Pakistan $240 million in Chinese financing to build.

Islamabad went ahead with officially opening the airport in October 2024, anyway, and it welcomed its first flight on January 21. The Indian newspaper Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday, expanding on earlier coverage from the Associated Press (AP), that the airport appears to get almost no use, describing it as the home of “ghost terminals” and seemingly no airplanes.

“The city continues to struggle with basic infrastructure issues, including unreliable electricity and a shortage of clean water, while the airport’s large capacity seems unnecessary for the area’s small population,” it observed.

The AP, visiting Gwadar, found the locals confused about the project at best, and alarmed at their potential displacement or colonization at worst.

“An airport with a 400,000 passenger capacity isn’t a priority for the city’s 90,000 people,” the agency observed. “People are on edge; activists claim there are forced disappearances and torture, which the government denies.”

Claims that the project created “local” jobs have gone unproven and locals lament that the airport has nothing to do with them.

“The port has been around for 20 years and now the international airport has been constructed, but not one person from Gwadar has been employed there … not even as a watchman,” one man, Abdul Ghafoor Hoth of the Balochistan Awami Party, told the AP.

The Chinese government promoted the BRI as a way for Pakistan to eradicate terrorist violence, particularly radical Islamic terrorism. In Balochistan, the growing Chinese presence, and accompanying Pakistani military operations, appeared to have inspired a new wave of terrorism against Chinese colonialism. When the U.S. State Department designated the BLA a terrorist organization, it listed several attacks targeting Chinese nationals by the group, including “a suicide attack in August 2018 that targeted Chinese engineers in Balochistan, a November 2018 attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, and a May 2019 attack against a luxury hotel in Gwadar, Balochistan.”

The BLA continued to attack Chinese targets in subsequent years, including Chinese outposts unrelated to the BRI. In one of the most shocking such attacks, a female suicide bomber identified as Shari Baloch attacked the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi in April 2022, killing four people, three of them Chinese nationals. The BLA took responsibility for the attack; Confucius Institutes are academic centers the Chinese government uses to spread communist ideology.

The opening of the New Gwadar International Airport fell victim to security complications, as well. On October 6, 2024, just as officials had planned to inaugurate the project, terrorists detonated an improvised explosive device in Karachi, in an attack directly targeting a convoy carrying Chinese workers arriving in Pakistan. The bombing killed two Chinese citizens and injured several others.

The attack outraged the Chinese government, which blamed the BLA for the attack and demanded Islamabad “conduct a thorough investigation of the attack … severely punish the perpetrators … [and] take practical and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan.”

Locals speaking to the AP complained that, in the aftermath of the attack, Gwadar has seen an influx of Pakistani military officials who harass locals in an attempt to prevent further attacks.

“The city is a jumble of checkpoints, barbed wire, troops, barricades, and watchtowers,” AP said of Gwadar. “Roads close at any given time, several days a week, to permit the safe passage of Chinese workers and Pakistani VIPs.”

“We are asked to prove our identity, who we are, where we have come from,” one local lamented. “We are residents. Those who ask should identify themselves as to who they are.”

Pakistan held an inauguration ceremony for the airport “virtually” in October following the convoy bombing. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the virtual ceremony alongside Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and celebrated the airport as “another gift from China.”

A month after that ceremony, the Pakistan Express Tribune reported that the Pakistan government had no plan for commercializing the airport to welcome airlines or to develop businesses such as restaurants and other stops within the airport for passengers.

Link

India-Pakistan

Pakistani Police report suicide attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

2024-11-16

[KhaamaPress] The police in Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, stated that the suicide kaboomer was on a cycle of violence and attempted to strike a vehicle carrying security personnel. According to police, the attack resulted in no casualties.

Information provided by the police indicated that the jacket wallah detonated his explosives after the police vehicle had passed by, resulting in only his own death.

So far, no group has grabbed credit for the attack.

The escalating violence in regions like Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
, driven by bad boy groups including the Tehrik-e-Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
Pakistain (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), reflects a deepening security crisis.

Link

India-Pakistan

At least 21 killed, 30 injured in blast near Quetta railway station

2024-11-09

[GEO.TV] At least 21 people were killed and 30 others were maimed in a bomb explosion near Quetta's railway station marking the latest incident of unrest in Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
Preliminary reports indicate that the earth-shattering kaboom took place at the railway station's booking office, which usually witnesses a significant number of people, resulting in the high corpse count so far.

While police and rescue personnel reached the site of the blast, emergency was imposed in Quetta's Civil Hospital, with additional doctors and support staff called in.

The Jaffer Express was scheduled to depart for Beautiful Downtown Peshawar

...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistain's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire...
at 9am, according to railway officials.

Officials informed Geo News that with several of the injured at death's door, the corpse count from the blast may rise.

Talking to the media, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Quetta Muhammad Baloch said that the earth-shattering kaboom seemed to be a suicide kaboom

. However,
there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened...
he noted that further investigation was underway.

Providing details on the corpse count SSP Operations Baloch said that the corpse count stood at 21 with 30 others maimed in the blast.

"The blast took place inside the railway station when the Peshawar-bound express was about to leave for its destination," said the police officer.

Update from the BBC at 1:30 p.m. ET, courtesy of Skidmark:

A separatist militant group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, said it carried out what police are deeming a suicide attack.

There has been a recent surge in deadly attacks in the province, driven by demands for independence and control over local resources.

The city’s commissioner said that the suicide bomber was among the dead, while about 50 others were injured in the blast.

Senior police official Muhammad Baloch said the explosion was thought to have been caused by a suicide bomber carrying 6-8kg of explosives. The dead and injured included both civilians and military personnel, he told the BBC.

The Baloch Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said in a statement released on social media that it had targeted a Pakistan military unit that was returning from Quetta after completing a training course.
Police later confirmed 14 soldiers were among the dead.

The region shares a volatile border with Iran and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and also boasts a vast coastline along the Arabian Sea.

In August, at least 73 people were killed in a series of attacks - which the Baloch Liberation Army also claimed responsibility for - targeting police stations, railway lines and highways, according to Reuters.

The militant separatist group has been waging a decades-long insurgency to gain independence for the region from Pakistan.

Link

Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More