At least 24 people were killed in a bombing at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan Conflict Matters

The Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group, claims responsibility for the 'suicide' attack.

At least 24 people were killed and more than 40 injured when a bomb exploded at a railway station in Pakistan's Balochistan province, according to authorities.

Saturday's blast occurred as nearly 100 passengers were waiting on a platform at around 8:45am (03:45 GMT) in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, for a train to Peshawar.

Pakistan's largest and poorest province, resource-rich Balochistan, is home to various armed militias and has been subject to deadly bombings. This province is on the border of Afghanistan and Iran.

The soldiers of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed to be the ones who did this, in a statement they said that the attack targeted the soldiers who were present at the railway station.

The outlawed BLA has been waging an armed insurgency demanding independence from Islamabad. The largest group of the many ethnic groups fighting against the government, says that it exploits the gas and minerals in this province unfairly.

“Since the beginning of 2024, we have seen an increase in violence in Balochistan. There are many attacks on the security forces,” journalist Saadullah Akhter, who witnessed the attack, told Al Jazeera.

“But this is the first time that the Quetta center has been targeted and it is scaring many people.”

Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the provincial government, said the bombing appeared to be a suicide attack, but investigations were ongoing to confirm the BLA's claims.

Security forces were still collecting evidence and assessing the intensity of the blast, Akhter said.

Pictures posted online showed bloodstained clothes and other personal items strewn across the platform as uniformed personnel searched the area following the explosion.

TV footage showed the stadium's steel roof structure blown off the center of the tea stall and destroyed as luggage was strewn all over the place.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombings, saying those who planned the attack “will pay a heavy price for it”, adding that security forces were determined to eliminate the “menace of terrorism”.

In August, the BLA said it was involved in a planned attack by multiple attackers that killed at least 39 people.

Armed assailants killed 20 miners and injured seven in October at a small private coal mine in Dukki district of Balochistan province.

In the past, armed groups have also directed foreign-funded energy projects – mainly from China – accusing foreigners of exploiting the region while excluding residents from the benefits.