At least 14 people, including three personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC), were martyred while several others sustained injuries in a blast near a railway track close to Chaman Phatak in Quetta on Sunday, according to the Balochistan government spokesperson.
Government spokesperson Shahid Rind said several women and children were also among the injured and were shifted to hospitals for medical treatment.
Rind said terrorists had targeted unarmed civilians in the attack and described assaults on public places as a sign of desperation by militant groups.
Security forces immediately sealed off the area following the explosion, while authorities began collecting evidence and investigating the incident.
The spokesperson said the process of gathering evidence and examining the circumstances of the attack was ongoing, adding that attacks on public spaces reflected the desperation of terrorist elements.
Following the blast, an emergency was declared in government hospitals across Quetta, with doctors and medical staff called in to manage the situation.
Railway officials said the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express was stopped at Quetta Railway Station as a precautionary measure after the explosion.
Meanwhile, Babar Yousafzai said all concerned institutions had been placed on high alert after the incident.
He also appealed to the public to avoid gathering near the blast site to ensure safety and allow rescue teams to carry out emergency operations without disruption.
