At least 24 people were killed and more than 50 injured when a bomb blast targeted a train carrying military personnel in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's restive Balochistan province. Army servicemen were among the casualties, according to a senior official.
Officials said the train was en route from Quetta to Peshawar when an explosive-laden car struck one of the carriages at Chaman Pattak, causing a massive explosion that blew out windows and destroyed nearby vehicles. The personnel were traveling to celebrate the Eid holiday.
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but poorest province, has long been a hotspot for separatist insurgents who accuse the central government of exploiting the region's natural gas and mineral resources without benefiting the local population.