QUETTA:
A blast targeted the Jaffar Express on Sunday near Spezand in Dasht Tehsil of Mastung district, damaging its locomotive and several coaches, officials confirmed.
According to Levies authorities, an explosive device planted on the railway track went off as the train passed, forcing the engine and five bogies off the line. The sudden jolt brought the passenger service to an abrupt halt.
No casualties were reported, and rescue teams along with railway staff promptly reached the site to assist passengers to safety. Security forces quickly sealed off the area and began a search operation to trace those behind the attack.
Read: At least 25 killed, over 50 injured in Quetta railway station blast
Officials said the explosives were locally manufactured, underlining ongoing security concerns in the province. The Jaffar Express, which connects Quetta with Rawalpindi, has previously been the target of similar acts of sabotage.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the incident. In the wake of the blast, security measures were reinforced across the region, and train operations from Balochistan to other parts of the country were temporarily suspended.
Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi strongly condemned the attack, vowing that such cowardly acts of terrorism would never deter the nation’s resolve.
This is not the first time the Jaffar Express has been targeted. A similar attack in November 2024, claimed the lives of 25 people and left 50 other injured.
More recently, Jaffar Express narrowly escaped an attack en route to Quetta last week when a bomb planted near the track at Sibi Railway Station reportedly went off just after the passenger train passed.
