Is the Jaffar Express Under Attack Again in Balochistan's Bolan Pass?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Multiple attacks have occurred against the Jaffar Express in Balochistan.
- Security forces are responding to threats with increased vigilance.
- No casualties were reported in the latest incident.
- Previous attacks have resulted in injuries and hostage situations.
- Passenger safety remains a critical concern for railway authorities.
Quetta, Nov 25 (NationPress) The Jaffar Express has faced another assault in the Bolan Pass region of Pakistan's Balochistan, as reported by local media on Tuesday.
This marks the sixth attack on the train between Quetta and Sibi within the last six weeks, according to Pakistan's prominent newspaper, Dawn.
Railway officials indicated that the Jaffar Express was en route from Quetta to Peshawar on Monday when armed individuals targeted the train. The assailants reportedly opened fire as the train approached Aab-i-Gum.
Security personnel, including Railway police onboard, responded with fire. Nonetheless, the attackers managed to flee after a brief exchange of gunfire. Fortunately, officials confirmed that no casualties occurred during the shooting.
Earlier, on October 7, a blast targeted the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express in the Shikarpur district of Sindh, injuring at least seven individuals.
Shikarpur Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Abro reported that an explosion occurred on the train tracks at 8:15 am (local time) on October 7, approximately one kilometer from the Sultan Kot railway station.
Seven people sustained injuries during this incident. The Jaffar Express was traveling towards Quetta through Jacobabad.
On September 24, a bomb blast in the Spizend area of Balochistan's Mastung injured 12 passengers, including women and children, as the Jaffar Express was heading towards Quetta.
The explosion caused six bogies of the train to derail, with one overturning, which resulted in injuries to passengers, as reported by railway officials.
Earlier this year, the Jaffar Express, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, was hijacked by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) Majeed Brigade, taking over 400 individuals hostage.
The train was halted on March 11 after being derailed in the Dhabar region of Bolan Pass.
Authorities confirmed that the train came under attack near Tunnel No. 8 in Bolan Pass.
The standoff persisted for more than 24 hours, with the BLA claiming to have killed at least 20 abducted security personnel after verifying their identities.