Pakistan: Jaffar Express Attacked Again, Seven Injured

QUETTA:
At least seven people were injured after a blast targeted the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express in the Shikarpur district of Pakistan’s Sindh on Tuesday, local media reported, citing officials.

Shikarpur Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Abro said that a blast took place on the train tracks at 8:15 a.m. (local time), Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported. According to him, the blast happened at a distance of one kilometre from the Sultan Kot railway station.

Abro said that seven people were injured in the incident. He said that among those, four persons were taken to the Combined Military Hospital, while the other three had been taken to the Civil Hospital in Shikarpur.

He further said that the Jaffar Express train was heading to Quetta through Jacobabad.

Sukkur Divisional Transport Officer (DTO) Mohsin Ali Sial said that passengers were being taken to nearby stations so that the repair work of the train could begin.

Earlier on September 24, 12 people, including women and children, were injured after the Jaf­far Express passenger train heading to Quetta was targeted in a bomb blast in the Spizend area of Mas­tung in Pakistan’s Balochistan.

Six bogies of the train on its way from Peshawar to Quetta derailed after the blast, and one overturned, causing injuries to the passengers, according to railway officials, Dawn reported.

It was the second blast that took place in the same area within 10 hours. An explosion took place on September 23 near the main track connecting Balochistan to other parts of Pakistan, just like the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express was preparing to leave Quetta Railway Station.

The train was stopped for some time. However, it was allowed to operate after security clearance, as the track was not damaged.

According to police officials, an explosive device planted on the track was detonated when the train heading to Quetta was passing through the Spizend area. The railway officials stated the train was carrying 270 passengers at the time of the blast.

Earlier this year, the Jaffar Express passenger train on its way from Quetta to Peshawar was hijacked by the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade, and over 400 people were taken as hostages.

The train was forced to come to a halt on March 11 after blowing off the track in the Dhabar area of Bolan Pass in Balochistan.

Security forces and the railway authorities had confirmed that the train had come under attack near Tunnel No. 8 of the Bolan Pass.

The standoff ended after more than 24 hours. The BLA claimed to have killed at least 20 of the abducted security personnel after checking their IDs.