ISLAMABAD: At least four people were injured on Sunday when an improvised explosive device (IED) derailed five coaches of the Jaffar Express in the southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan Railways has confirmed.
The IED explosion occurred on a railway track near Quetta’s Spezand Railway Station, according to a press release issued by Pakistan Railways. It stated that five coaches of the 39-Up Jaffar Express, which operates between Quetta and Peshawar, had been derailed.
“Railway and security teams are present at the scene, and rescue operations have begun,” the statement said.
It said the railway administration will bring passengers back to the southwestern city of Quetta in light of the security situation, adding that train operations from Quetta will resume after authorities provide security clearance.
Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has condemned the attack. “Terrorists’ cowardly acts cannot weaken our resolve,” Abbasi said in a statement issued by the railways.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
It may be recalled that last month, three coaches of the Jaffar Express train derailed near Shikarpur in Sindh due to an explosion, leaving one injured.
On March 11, the train became the target of an unprecedented hijacking when terrorists fired on the locomotive and took over 400 passengers hostage.
The hijacking in the Bolan mountain range ended on March 12 after an hours-long military operation that killed 33 militants and rescued hostages.
