Deadly Railway Bombing Rocks Pakistan

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a railway track as a passenger train passed through the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Sunday, killing at least 23 people and wounding over 70 others, per the AP. The force of the explosion caused two of the train cars to overturn and catch fire, sending thick black smoke into the air. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which demands independence from Pakistan's central government, has claimed responsibility. The militant group said it targeted a train carrying security personnel, though details on casualties were not immediately available.

The attack happened in an area where security forces are usually stationed, badly damaging several nearby buildings and smashing more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media. Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province, an oil- and mineral-rich region that is a hub of insurgent activity. Pakistani authorities say the BLA is backed by India, but New Delhi denies the allegation.