Latest news with #Peshawar-bound
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Pakistan: Bomb blast derails six bogies of Jaffar Express in Balochistan, no casualties reported
A bomb blast derailed six bogies of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan's Mastung district, but fortunately, no lives were lost. The incident occurred near Spezand station, prompting security forces to cordon off the area and initiate a search operation. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 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 Kashif, public relations officer of the Pakistan Railways' Quetta division, told "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, Dawn 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, according to 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, Dawn 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, Dawn 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 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, according to 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, Dawn April, the 3UP train heading from Karachi to Quetta was stopped at Jacobabad railway station due to security reasons, Dawn 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, Dawn reported.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Balochistan train service suspended: IED explosion derails five Jaffar Express coaches
QUETTA: An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast derailed five coaches of the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express in Balochistan on Sunday, Railways confirmed in yet another attack targeting the train. The IED blast took place on a train track near Quetta's Spezand Railway Station on Sunday morning, the railways said in a press release. It added that five coaches of the 39-Up Jaffar Express train, which runs from Quetta to Peshawar, had been derailed while all passengers remained safe. '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 Quetta in light of the security situation, adding that train operations from Quetta will resume after authorities provide security clearance. Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi condemned the attack. 'Terrorists' cowardly acts cannot weaken our resolve,' Abbasi said in a statement issued by railways. Abbasi stated that the attack on Jaffar Express was a well-planned act and part of a foreign conspiracy. He emphasised that if authorities had prior intelligence about the attack, preventive measures would have been taken. The Minister reiterated that Pakistan continues to face terrorism, and all global powers, including China, the US, and Pakistan, stand united against terrorism. He confirmed that all passengers have been rescued from the train, while efforts are underway to evacuate more. While the cause of today's blast is yet to be officially confirmed, the attack has raised fresh concerns about the security of railway routes in Balochistan's remote and volatile regions. Meanwhile, Railways Minister said that owing to poor security conditions train operation being suspended in Balochistan for some days. Federal Minister Hanif Abbasi has stated that Peshawar to Quetta Jaffar Express service will remain suspended from August 10 to 13, while Peshawar bound Jaffar Express from Quetta to remain suspended from 11-14 August. Meanwhile, Karachi to Quetta Bolan Mail's operation has been suspended from August 10 to 15, railway minister said. He said the train operation from Quetta will be resumed after issuance of the security clearance.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Blast derails Jaffar Express bogies in Mastung
Security officials stand next to a compartment of the train hit by an IED blast in Mastung. PHOTO: AFP Listen to article A blast on a railway track in Balochistan's Mastung district on Sunday derailed six bogies of the Jaffar Express, though no loss of life was reported, officials said. The explosion occurred near Spezant in Dasht Tehsil, targeting the passenger train and damaging its locomotive along with several coaches, officials confirmed. According to the Levies authorities, an explosive device planted on the track detonated as the train passed, forcing the engine and five bogies off the rails. The sudden jolt brought the Jaffar Express to an abrupt halt. Rescue teams and railway staff quickly arrived at the scene to evacuate passengers and ensure their safety. Security forces sealed off the area and launched a search operation to track down those responsible for the sabotage. Officials said the explosives were locally manufactured, highlighting persistent security concerns in the province. The Jaffar Express, which operates between Quetta and Rawalpindi, has previously been the target of similar attacks. A formal investigation has been initiated, and in the aftermath of the blast, security measures were heightened across the region. Train services from Balochistan to other parts of the country were temporarily suspended. The latest attack comes just three days after the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express narrowly dodged disaster in Sibi, where a bomb planted near the track exploded moments after the passenger train had passed. On July 24, another close shave occurred when a powerful blast tore through the QuettaSibi rail section, damaging a bogie of the Bolan Mail. Similarly, the July 28 derailment of the Jaffar Express in Sindh's Sukkur was initially blamed on an explosion. However, the Ministry of Railways later attributed it to a technical fault. In June, a remotely detonated explosive device fitted to the tracks caused four bogies of the Jaffar Express to derail in Jacobabad. No injuries were reported in that incident. Back in April, the 3UP train from Karachi to Quetta was halted at Jacobabad railway station due to security threats. Train services between Quetta and the rest of the country were only restored on March 27 after being suspended earlier that month due to the unprecedented hijacking of the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express.
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.
