Sindh, Pakistan, January 28 (ANI): An explosion struck the Jaffar Express in Pakistan’s Sindh province on Monday, derailing four coaches of the train, officials said, after a Baloch armed outfit claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a report by The Balochistan Post.
Railway officials said the blast occurred at Abad railway station as the Peshawar-bound train was traveling from Quetta toward Sukkur.
“Four bogies of the train were derailed because of the force of the explosion,” an official said. Authorities had not released any information on casualties at the time of reporting.
The Jaffar Express, which operates between Quetta, Punjab, and Peshawar, has been repeatedly targeted over the past year by Baloch armed groups, which allege the train is frequently used to transport serving and reserve personnel of Pakistan’s armed forces.
In March last year, fighters of the Baloch Liberation Army seized the Jaffar Express, holding hundreds of passengers hostage. The group later claimed that more than 200 Pakistani military personnel were killed during the operation, The Balochistan Post reported.
Following the hijacking, the train faced several additional attacks and repeated service suspensions. In response to rising threats, Pakistani authorities implemented enhanced security measures, including specially designed security coaches for personnel assigned to guard the train.
The Baloch Republican Guards, which has repeatedly targeted the train since the March hijacking, claimed responsibility for the latest attack. BRG spokesperson Dostain Baloch said fighters planted an improvised explosive device and detonated it remotely at Sultan Kot, a town located between Shikarpur and Jacobabad, the report said.
He claimed the train was attacked while Pakistani military personnel were traveling on board, alleging several were killed or wounded and that multiple carriages overturned. Pakistani authorities have not verified these claims.
In a statement cited by The Balochistan Post, the BRG said it would continue such attacks until the independence of Balochistan is achieved.
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