Train bomb in Pakistan's Baloch region: Why violence is on the rise

A suicide car bomb detonated on a train carrying soldiers in Quetta, Balochistan, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 50. The blast severely damaged nearby houses and buildings, overturned train carriages, and caused fires. Public hospitals in Quetta declared a state of emergency and ordered medical staff to remain on duty. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility, opposing an independent state and large-scale Chinese investment in the region. Recent months have seen increased separatist attacks, with greater ferocity and targeting of Chinese workers. The violence is linked to protests against Beijing-backed infrastructural projects, including those under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

"At least 24 people were killed and more than 50 injured when a suicide car bomb detonated on a train carrying soldiers in Quetta, capital of the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan, on Sunday. The attack came amid Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's four-day visit to China, and the day before his meeting in Beijing with China's President Xi Jinping, marking 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations."

"Responsibility for the train attack was claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an armed Baloch separatist group which, apart from calling for an independent state, also strongly objects to large-scale Chinese investment in the region. While the BLA has long carried 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."

"Reporting from the scene, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said several houses and buildings adjacent to the railway line were severely damaged in the blast, which caused train carriages to overturn and catch fire. According to local media reports, a state of emergency was declared at public hospitals in Quetta, with doctors and other medical staff ordered to remain on duty."

"Pakistan has experienced several attacks by separatist groups in recent months. The attacks have increased in ferocity and have also targeted Chinese workers amid protests over Beijing-backed infrastructural projects in Balochistan. As part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project one of the main arms of China's Belt and Roa"

Read at www.aljazeera.com