QUETTA, Pakistan: Two explosions targeting military personnel on a passenger train killed at least six people and wounded 19 others in Pakistan’s troubled southwestern Balochistan province Friday, officials said.
The attack, claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army, came as the Rawalpindi-bound Jaffer Express was passing the town of Much, 55 kilometers (35 miles) east of Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta.
“The explosions damaged two passenger carriages and killed six people besides wounding 19 others,” senior local Pakistan Railways official Imtiaz Ahmad told AFP, updating the earlier toll of three deaths.
He said the fresh toll came after railway officials finalized the list of dead and injured. It was also confirmed by a senior doctor at the local hospital Noor Baluch.
Earlier, provincial home secretary Akbar Harifal told AFP rescue teams had been rushed to the accident site.
Oil and gas rich Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan, and has been roiled for years by violent separatist, sectarian and Islamist insurgencies.
The Pakistani military is accused of committing widespread abuses in the fight against the insurgents, which it denies.
A spokesman for the Baloch Liberation Army said the attack had targeted “military personnel who travel to Rawalpindi by this train.”
Balochistan is also the site of China’s ambitious $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor infrastructure project linking its western province of Xinjiang to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif “strongly condemned the attack and directed authorities concerned to find the culprits and bring them to task immediately,” an official statement said.
Twin bombing targets Pakistan train; 6 dead
Twin bombing targets Pakistan train; 6 dead
Stranded in paradise: Mideast war traps thousands in Bali
- Limited flights from UAE begin as governments seek to extract citizens from Middle East
- At least 4,400 people had flights to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi canceled between Saturday and Monday
DENPASAR, LONDON, BERLIN: Passengers stranded on the Indonesian resort island of Bali clamored for flight news on Tuesday as the outbreak of war in the Middle East grounded planes and turned a tropical holiday dream into an ordeal for many.
Hundreds were crowded at Ngurah Rai International Airport, many dressed in shorts, flip-flops and summer dresses, their expressions dour.
Many sat on the floor, exhausted, and one man repeatedly hit a wall in frustration. “I just kind of want to see my family ... right now it’s a bit stressful,” British tourist Adam Woo, transiting through Bali after holidaying on the neighboring island of Lombok, said. The 23-year-old student said he saw the missiles start flying on the news “and I was a bit worried about my flight” — especially after Dubai airport was hit in Iran’s response to a US-Israeli attack.
“Obviously, everyone around the world at the moment is kind of stuck,” said Woo. “All the travel agencies are swamped with people calling in. So, it’s literally impossible to even get on the phone with someone.”
He said he was looking for an alternative flight via China.
Around Woo, many at the airport were lugging around heavy luggage with slumped shoulders, frustration etched on many a face.
Many queued on foot and on chairs outside information centers hoping for news on replacement flights, receiving occasional briefings with little news.
The airport’s immigration office said in a statement at least 4,400 people had flights to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi canceled between Saturday and Monday.
With would-be passengers at risk of overstaying their visas, the Bali immigration office introduced a same-day emergency stay permit free of charge for affected foreigners.
Thirty-five have applied so far, according to immigration head Felucia Sengky Ratna.
Airports company Angkasa Pura said 15 flights from Bali to Doha and Abu Dhabi, and vice versa, have been canceled between Saturday and Monday.
National carrier Garuda Indonesia has grounded all flights to Doha until further notice.
Meanwhile, stranded travelers began departing the UAE aboard a small number of evacuation flights on Monday, even as most commercial air traffic across the Middle East remained suspended.
The limited flights out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi took place as the US State Department urged its own citizens in 13 countries, including UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman, to “depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks.”
Sweeping airspace closures and flight cancelations across the region left many fewer options for heeding the advice.
The State Department has evacuated non-emergency personnel and families in six nations, adding the UAE to its list on Tuesday.
In Italy, the government has assisted with flights to Milan and Rome in the wake of mounting criticism against Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
The minister sparked a political controversy at home after being stuck in Dubai with his family during the initial phase of the attack on Iran.
Crosetto returned to Rome on Sunday on a military aircraft. The left-wing opposition has called for Crosetto’s resignation, saying he should not have traveled to the Middle East during a crisis.
