Train bombing in Pakistan’s Baloch region: Why violence is on the rise | Military Issues

At least 24 people died and more than 50 were injured when a a suicide car bomb has been detonated on a military train in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan, on Sunday.

The attack took place while Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was on a four-day visit to China. meet in Beijing and Chinese President Xi Jinping, writes 75 years of diplomatic relations between two species.

Pakistan is one of the countries that China regards as a “permanent partner”, with whom it has close economic, trade and defense ties.

Responsibility for the attack on the train was claimed by a Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)a separatist Baloch militia that, apart from calling for an independent state, is also strongly opposed to China’s massive investment in the region.

While the BLA has been carrying out attacks that have killed civilians and members of the security forces in Balochistan and beyond, there has been a recent uptick in such incidents.

We look at the reasons behind the increase in these shows:

What happened to the Sunday attack?

Commenting on the accident, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said several buildings and buildings adjacent to the railway were badly damaged in the blast, which caused the train’s tractors to overturn and catch fire.

According to local media reports, a state of emergency has been declared in government hospitals in Quetta, and doctors and other medical staff have been ordered to remain on duty.

Videos shared online showed burning cars and trains lying on their sides, black smoke billowing into the sky.

Pakistan has experienced several attacks by separatist groups in recent months. The threats have escalated and have also affected Chinese workers amid protests against Beijing-led construction projects in Balochistan.

As part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project – one of the main arms of China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” designed to improve trade routes – China’s Xinjiang region has been linked to Pakistan’s deep sea port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea in Balochistan.

Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif condemned Sunday’s train attack in Quetta in a tweet on X.

“Such terrorism cannot weaken the spirit of the people of Pakistan. We remain determined to end terrorism in various ways,” he said.

He added that although initial reports indicated that the bomber had committed suicide, this had not been officially confirmed. If so, Yunas Samad, professor emeritus of South Asian Studies at the University of Bradford in the UK, told Al Jazeera, “this shows the methods that terrorist organizations in the region have adopted in recent years”.

“There are also discussions about the distribution of advanced weapons from the resources left behind after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan,” he said.

Are we witnessing a new phase of separatist terrorism in Balochistan?

According to a study by an independent group, based in the Islamabad Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, Balochistan recorded at least 254 protests in 2025 – about 26 percent more than in 2024.

A December 2025 report published by the independent war monitor Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) found that separatists have also increased attacks and pressure on security forces. The report stated that the number of attacks using explosive devices (IEDs) and explosive devices, especially those targeting convoys and police stations, increased by 65 percent in the first 11 months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.

This year’s Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report found that there will be more incidents of Baloch militants in Pakistan in 2025. GTI is an annual report published by an independent organization based in Australia Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

Its 2026 report says the BLA is the biggest terrorist organization in Pakistan in 2025 – while Jaffar Expressa train from Quetta to Peshawar, was hijacked in March.

The BLA claimed responsibility and said six soldiers were killed. Hundreds of people were taken captive on the ship, which was carrying 400 people.

“What we can say is that, following the initial attack on the Jaffar Express, the Pakistani authorities seem to have increased the security of transport, the military and the main communication channels,” Samad, from Bradford University, told Al Jazeera.

“These recent developments may mean that the terrorists are still active despite their best efforts,” he said.

The group shocked Pakistan’s security forces in 2022 when it compromised army and navy facilities. In August 2024, terrorists carried out attacks in Balochistan, including road bombings where passengers were taken out of buses and shot dead after a search.

“Although the statistics of such conflicts are always disputed and should be treated with caution, they show that the scale of the conflict has not decreased significantly,” said Samad.

“Even though this is a ‘new phase’ it’s probably the strongest point right now.” However, it seems to indicate a resurgence of military strength and confidence among the Baloch insurgent sections.”

Who are the BLA and the main Baloch armed groups?

The BLA, which has a suicide unit called the Majeed Brigade, says it is fighting for the independence of Balochistan, a region in southwestern Pakistan that borders Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west.

It is the largest of several separatist groups that have been fighting the government for years. The mountainous region of Balochistan is a safe haven and training ground for Baloch separatists and Islamist militias.

The BLA has mostly focused on security and defense in Balochistan, but has also affected other areas – most notably the southern city of Karachi.

The BLA has sent female suicide bombers, including to attack Chinese citizens in Karachi, and has been designated as “a foreign terrorist organization” by the United States in August 2025 to impress the government of Pakistan. Experts say that BLA is particularly known for its ability to recruit young people, who are often well-educated.

The group, by contrast, was between a tit-for-tat beating in 2024 between Iran and Pakistan over what each said were armed forces on each other’s territory, which brought the neighbors to the brink of war.

Why Baloch?

Home to nearly 15 million of Pakistan’s 240 million people, according to the 2023 census, Balochistan is the poorest region in the country despite its abundant natural resources, including coal, gold, copper and natural gas.

These things bring huge costs to the federal government – unfairly, according to the BLA, which wants Balochistan’s natural resources to belong to its people and rejects federal authority over disarmament and security.

It is the largest province in Pakistan in terms of area, but the smallest in terms of population. It has a long coastline on the Arabian Sea, not far from the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz oil shipping route.

Balochistan is home to one of Pakistan’s largest deep-water ports at Gwadar, a key channel for China’s $65bn trade with China. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)a wing of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The region has major mining operations, including Reko Diq, which is operated by Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold and is believed to be one of the largest gold and copper mines in the world.

China also operates a gold and copper mine in Balochistan.

The region – which was annexed by Pakistan in 1948, six months after it seceded from India in August 1947 – has a long history of backwardness. Since then, there have been at least five separatist uprisings.

Separatist sentiment was at its peak in the 2000s, when the BLA emerged. Investigators of the Baloch opposition groups say they are led by Balach Marri, the son of former Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri.

After the government of military dictator Pervez Musharraf assassinated Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006, the separatist movement grew.

Militants have attacked Pakistan’s military and China’s interests, particularly the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, accusing Beijing of helping Islamabad use the region. Militants have killed Chinese nationals working in the region and attacked the Beijing embassy and consulate in Karachi.

Recently, the BLA has also attacked civilians and workers from other governments, a change that officials say reflects the rise of technology.

Pakistan blames India and Afghanistan for supporting Baloch militants, which both countries deny.

“Baloch separatist groups also sometimes want to declare their demands internationally and last year they asked for recognition by India,” Samad said.

“However, finding clear evidence of direct government support is extremely difficult, and much of the discussion in this area is politically motivated.”

Hundreds of Baloch activists, many of them women, have protested in Islamabad and Balochistan over police brutality – which the government denies.

Over time, the BLA distinguished itself as a group that was clearly committed to the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan. Unlike the Baloch parties that seek political independence, the BLA has always refused to compromise.

Why is this so important now?

Regional stability and international investment

The attack comes as Prime Minister Sharif is due to meet Chinese President Xi in Beijing to discuss economic and security cooperation – something the BLA strongly opposes.

The move could spell trouble for Pakistan trying to keep Chinese and American investments, experts say, if it signals deeper instability.

Baloch separatism is one of the major unanswered questions in the context of Pakistan. It’s a constant reminder of Pakistan’s struggle to stay united, he says.

“Furthermore, the persistence of terrorism has had a profound effect on Pakistan’s political system,” Samad said. “Security concerns in Balochistan have dramatically changed governance and political discourse, promoting military and security activities in national affairs and undermining the democratic process.”

“For the rest of the world, this issue is important because Pakistan is still a very important nuclear weapon state,” Samad told Al Jazeera.

“Although the internationalization process is premature, any escalation of internal instability in a nuclear-armed country attracts international attention.

The needs of the world

Another big issue is that geological survey shows that Balochistan has 12 out of 17 rare-earth minerals on the periodic table. Rare earth is an important mineral used in the production of many modern products, including batteries, watches, wires, weapons, mobile phones and semiconductors, among other technological products.

Since the start of his second term, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed plans to completely eliminate the pile of minerals needed in Washington to reduce dependence on China, which currently dominates the management and processing of rare earth mines.

When Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif met Trump at the White House in September 2025, he offered the US access to important minerals and rare earth.

Then, in December 2025, the US announced an investment of $1.25bn in the important mining sector in Reko Diq to drive “economic growth in Balochistan”.