Train Bombing in Balochistan

On November 9th, at around 9:00 AM, a bomb went off on a passenger train at Quetta Railway Station, killing 26 and injuring over 64 people. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has taken responsibility for this attack and claimed their objective was to kill a Pakistani military unit on the train [1].

It remains unclear where this terrorist group gets its funding; however, some questions remain regarding its creation and links to certain countries.

This is another attack in a new 'secession' campaign on their string of campaigns since 2006. One of their deadliest attacks was their "Herof" (Black storm) operation on August 25th, 2024, when they shot 23 passengers on a passenger bus. Most victims were from Punjab, Pakistan's wealthiest province [2].

For context, Balochistan is an administrative province in the southeast of Pakistan, with parts in Iran and Afghanistan. It's a mineral-rich region, but it's scarcely populated and impoverished.

You might remember us covering a story in Issue #17, where the same group were responsible for the deaths of two Chinese engineers in a bombing near Karachi's international airport, and China quickly called for tighter security measures.

The BLA has been opposed to the China and Pakistan relationship and has conducted attacks against Chinese instalments in Pakistan since 2018.

China has a vested interest in the region through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative and, more specifically, in building a deep-sea port in Gwadar, near the Gulf of Oman. This will give China a more direct route for its oil, and considering China is the world's largest importer of crude oil, the significance of this port and project for Chinese interests should not be understated.

It seems the BLA attacks are increasing in their violence and frequency, and with pressure mounting, how will Pakistan respond to protect its citizens, and how will China safeguard its strategic interests?

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[1] The BLA was targeting a Pakistani military unit on the train that had just completed training. The police confirmed that 14 soldiers were among the dead.

[2] The BLA manifesto outlines a path to secession from Pakistan and its perceived historical basis for doing so as a region. Their actions illustrate that they perceive any non-Baloch minorities living in Balochistan as stealing the resources that belong to their people (e.g., Punjab). This is clearly extended to Pakistan and any other foreign interests.

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