Dozens of people have reportedly been killed in Pakistan following a bomb blast targeting a train transporting military personnel in the country's southwestern Balochistan province.
The explosion occurred as the train made its way through Chaman Phatak in the regional capital of Quetta on Sunday, with at least 24 people reported to have died.
Images and video footage from the scene show piles of rubble surrounding burnt-out train carriages and cars.
A senior official told Agence France-Presse that "an explosive-laden car hit one of the carriages," causing "a big blast".
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which aims to establish an independent Balochistan, is reported to have claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said in a statement posted to X that he strongly condemned the "heinous bomb explosion," adding that "such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan".
"I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the swift recovery of the injured," he added.
Sherry Rehman, a member of the Pakistani Senate and former ambassador to the US, also condemned the attack and said most of the victims had been women and children travelling for the Islamic festival of Eid.
"The perpetrators of such atrocities should know our citizens and security forces have spines of steel," Rehman said.
