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Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan: Bomb blast derails six train bogies with 350 passengers onboard
No loss of life was reported after a bomb blast on a railway track in Balochistan's Mastung district derailed six bogies of the Jaffar Express, an official said on Sunday, Dawn reported. Muhammad Kashif, public relations officer of the Pakistan Railways' Quetta division, told Dawn, "A bomb attached to the railway track exploded loudly, derailing six bogies of the train. Fortunately, there was no loss of life." The incident occurred near the Spezand station in Mastung's Dasht tehsil, when the train was heading from Quetta to Peshawar City station with 350 passengers on board, the news outlet added. "Security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site as soon as they were alerted about the incident, and began a search operation after cordoning off the area," Kashif said. He further noted, "Four bogies of the Jaffar Express had been placed back on the track, while efforts were underway to restore the other two." A relief train of the Pakistan Railways brought the 350 passengers back to Quetta, while bogies stuck on the track will be returned to the city as well, Kashif said in a later statement, adding that all tickets will be refunded. In a separate statement, Kashif said the services of the Jaffar Express and Bolan Mail were suspended till August 14. The Bolan Mail will resume its operations on August 16 (Saturday), when it will depart from Karachi "in its proper turn" and will arrive in Quetta the next day, he added. This incident comes just three days after the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express narrowly escaped disaster in Balochistan's Sibi, where a bomb planted near the track exploded just after the passenger train passed, Dawn reported. On July 24, a powerful explosion ripped through the Quetta-Sibi rail section, damaging a bogie of the Bolan Mail. A July 28 derailment of the Jaffar Express train in Sindh's Sukkur was initially attributed to an explosion, even by government-run media, but the Ministry of Railways later said a technical fault was the cause. In June, a powerful explosion of a remotely controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks caused four bogies of the Jaffar Express to derail in Jacobabad. No one was hurt in the incident. In April, the 3UP train heading from Karachi to Quetta was stopped at Jacobabad railway station due to security reasons. Train services between Quetta and the rest of the country were restored on March 27, after they were suspended due to the unprecedented hijacking of the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express earlier that month. The train, travelling from Quetta to Peshawar and carrying 440 passengers, was hijacked near Balochistan's Sibi area on March 11, resulting in the deaths of 21 passengers and four security personnel. "All 33 terrorists" were neutralised during the two-day clearance operation, the military said.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Hans India
Four injured as blast derails train in Pakistan's Balochistan
Four people were injured when an improvised explosive device derailed six coaches of the Peshawar-bound Jafar Express in the Mastung district of Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Sunday. There were, however, no casualties, officials said. This is the latest in a series of attacks targeting the Jafar Express. The improvised explosive device (IED) explosion hit the track near Spezand Railway Station, about 25 kms from Quetta, shortly after the train with 350 passengers had departed the city at 9 am, a railways official said. 'A bomb attached to the railway track exploded loudly, derailing six bogies of the train heading from Quetta to Peshawar. Fortunately, there was no loss of life,' Muhammad Kashif, public relations officer of the Pakistan Railways' Quetta division, told the media. All injured passengers sustained minor wounds, the official said. Rescue teams, including railway staff, were dispatched to the site, and a relief train was sent to transport stranded passengers to Quetta. Security forces and police cordoned off the area, while a bomb disposal squad was deployed to clear the track. Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Kashif said the services of the Jaffar Express and Bolan Mail were suspended till August 14. The Bolan Mail will resume its operations on August 16 (Saturday), when it will depart from Karachi 'in its proper turn' and will arrive in Quetta the next day, he added. The Jafar Express, which runs between Quetta and Peshawar, has been repeatedly targeted in recent months. On August 7, the train narrowly escaped a disaster near Balochistan's Sibi railway station, where a bomb planted near the track exploded just after the passenger train had passed. In another incident, on August 4, gunmen fired five bullets at its pilot engine near Kolpur. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the latter attack. In June, a remotely controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks exploded, causing four bogies of the Jaffar Express to derail in Jacobabad. On March 11, the Jaffar Express was hijacked while traveling from Quetta to Peshawar in the Bolan area, resulting in the deaths of 21 passengers and four security personnel. The security forces in a targeted operation killed 33 terrorists involved in attacking the train. It is believed that ethnic Baloch terrorist groups carry out such attacks. A July 28 derailment of the same train in Sindh province's Sukkur was initially attributed to an explosion but the Ministry of Railways later said it was due to a technical fault.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Pakistan: Four injured as blast derails train in Balochistan
This is an AI-generated image, used for representational purposes only. PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: Four people were injured when an improvised explosive device derailed six coaches of the Peshawar-bound Jafar Express in the Mastung district of Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Sunday. There were, however, no casualties, officials said. This is the latest in a series of attacks targeting the Jafar Express. The improvised explosive device (IED) explosion hit the track near Spezand Railway Station, about 25 km from Quetta, shortly after the train with 350 passengers had departed the city at 9 am (local time), a railways official said. "A bomb attached to the railway track exploded loudly, derailing six bogies of the train heading from Quetta to Peshawar. Fortunately, there was no loss of life," Muhammad Kashif, public relations officer of the Pakistan Railways' Quetta division, told the media. All injured passengers sustained minor wounds, the official said. Rescue teams, including railway staff, were dispatched to the site, and a relief train was sent to transport stranded passengers to Quetta. Security forces and police cordoned off the area, while a bomb disposal squad was deployed to clear the track. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Machado: Unsold Sofas Prices May Surprise You (Prices May Surprise You) Sofas | Search Ads Search Now Undo Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Kashif said the services of the Jaffar Express and Bolan Mail were suspended till August 14. The Bolan Mail will resume its operations on August 16 (Saturday), when it will depart from Karachi "in its proper turn" and will arrive in Quetta the next day, he added. The Jafar Express, which runs between Quetta and Peshawar, has been repeatedly targeted in recent months. On August 7, the train narrowly escaped a disaster near Balochistan's Sibi railway station, where a bomb planted near the track exploded just after the passenger train had passed. In another incident, on August 4, gunmen fired five bullets at its pilot engine near Kolpur. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the latter attack. In June, a remotely controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks exploded, causing four bogies of the Jaffar Express to derail in Jacobabad. On March 11, the Jaffar Express was hijacked while traveling from Quetta to Peshawar in the Bolan area, resulting in the deaths of 21 passengers and four security personnel. The security forces in a targeted operation killed 33 terrorists involved in attacking the train. It is believed that ethnic Baloch terrorist groups carry out such attacks. A July 28 derailment of the same train in Sindh province's Sukkur was initially attributed to an explosion but the Ministry of Railways later said it was due to a technical fault.
Express Tribune
31-03-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Kindness abounds this Eid season
In the spirit of Eid, philanthropists spread joy by distributing gifts to low-income families and individuals in various areas, ensuring they're included in the festive celebrations. The recipients were overwhelmed with gratitude, offering special prayers for their benefactors. The Choti Khushi Group discreetly distributed Eid gifts among needy families in FC Area, Liaquatabad, and surrounding neighbourhoods on Sunday. The group's organiser Asif Khan said that Eid is a festival of joy, but some families are unable to celebrate it due to financial difficulties. They cannot afford to buy clothes and footwear for their families. Therefore, their group, with limited resources, distributed Eid gifts to these families so they too could celebrate Eid. Deputy organiser Muhammad Kashif said that the Eid gifts were distributed among women, children, and people of various age groups. The group provided ready-made shalwar kameez and footwear for children, girls, women and men. The Eid gift packs included small, medium, and large-sized clothes and footwear. He added that each Eid gift was worth up to Rs2,000. The group distributed gifts on a limited scale, while other welfare organisations and philanthropists also contributed. He suggested that if such initiatives were carried out at the neighbourhood level, every low-income household could partake in Eid celebrations. Fakhar, a balloon seller and father of one, said his income is limited. He could not afford to buy clothes and footwear for himself and his family for Eid but thanks to the philanthropists' help for adding joy to their Eid. A woman, Roshan Begum, mentioned that philanthropists provided Eid gifts for her two daughters and son, calling it a noble act. A young girl, Fatima Saleem, stated that her father had passed away, and her mother works as a domestic worker.
Gulf Today
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Operation against hijacked train complete, 33 separatists killed, says Pakistan army
A military operation against militants who hijacked a train carrying hundreds of passengers in southwest Pakistan has ended, a spokesman for the army said late on Wednesday. Some 33 militants and 21 hostages were killed during the operation, the spokesman said in a television broadcast. Dozens of separatist Balochi militants blew up a railway track and lobbed rockets on Tuesday at the Jaffar Express, carrying more than 400 passengers, authorities said previously. Some of the militants wore suicide vests and were seated among the hostages, the government said, complicating rescue efforts. Attacks by separatist groups who accuse outsiders of plundering natural resources in Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, have soared in the past few years. The assault was immediately claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army, who released a video of an explosion on the track followed by dozens of militants emerging from mountainous hiding places and storming onto the carriages. "Information suggests that some militants have fled, taking an unknown number of hostages into the local mountainous areas," a security official in the area told AFP. Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway government official in the provincial capital Quetta, told AFP on Tuesday afternoon that the 450 passengers on board had been taken hostage. Passengers who walked for hours through rugged mountains to reach safety described being set free by the militants. "Our women pleaded with them, and they spared us," Babar Masih, a 38-year-old Christian labourer told AFP on Wednesday. "They told us to get out and not look back. As we ran, I noticed many others running alongside us." At a railway station in Quetta, paramilitary troops brought empty coffins that will be sent to the site of the incident. "I can't find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying," Muhammad Bilal, who had been travelling with his mother on the Jaffar Express train, told AFP. Outsiders identified The BLA has staged a series of recent attacks against security forces and ethnic groups from outside the province they accuse of benefiting from the region's wealth. The group has demanded an exchange with security forces for its imprisoned members. The train driver, a police officer and a soldier were killed in the assault, according to paramedic Nazim Farooq and railway official Muhammad Aslam. Several passengers told AFP that gunmen demanded to see identity cards to confirm who was from outside the province, similar to a spate of recent attacks carried out by the BLA. "They came and checked IDs and service cards and shot two soldiers in front of me and took the other four to... I don't know where," said one passenger who asked not to be identified, after walking four hours to the nearest train station. "Those who were Punjabis were taken away by the terrorists," he said. Around 80 of the released passengers were taken to Quetta under "tight security," said a police official who was not authorised to speak to the media. Agence France-Presse
