What Caused the Derailment of Jaffar Express in Balochistan?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Six coaches of the Jaffar Express derailed due to an explosion.
- The incident occurred near Jacobabad in Sindh province.
- No injuries or fatalities were reported.
- The Baloch Republican Guards claimed responsibility for the attack.
- This is not the first attack on the Jaffar Express.
Balochistan, June 18 (NationPress) - On Wednesday, a significant incident occurred when at least six coaches of Pakistan's Jaffar Express derailed due to an explosion on the railway tracks close to Jacobabad in Sindh province, according to reports from Pakistani media. The train was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar when the blast took place.
Police officials reported that the explosion left a crater roughly three feet wide and deep, which resulted in damage to nearly six feet of railway track.
Authorities believe the cause of the explosion was an improvised explosive device (IED) planted along the railway line.
No casualties have been reported, and the area has been secured as a formal investigation is currently in progress, according to railway officials.
The Baloch Republican Guards, a militant Baloch separatist group, has claimed responsibility for this attack on the Jaffar Express and has also targeted containers associated with the Reko Diq project in Chagai, Balochistan, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
Their spokesperson, Dosteen Baloch, stated that the blast was carried out by their operatives using a remote-controlled device near the Jacobabad cattle market.
"In today's attack, six coaches of the train derailed. The Jaffar Express is utilized by the occupying Pakistani army for the movement of its personnel, and our attacks will intensify in the future," the spokesperson mentioned (rough English translation).
Moreover, the statement emphasized, "Our organization claims responsibility for these attacks. Such actions will persist until the independence of Balochistan."
Videos circulating on social media depicted passengers, including families with children, safely disembarking from the derailed train and collecting their belongings.
Remarkably, despite the derailment, there were no reports of injuries or fatalities.
This incident marks not the first time the Jaffar Express has been a target.
In March, insurgents from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the train near Quetta, holding hundreds of passengers hostage and resulting in the deaths of over two dozen security personnel.
The military announced that the operation to neutralize the attackers and rescue the hostages had been successfully concluded.
Security sources confirmed that at least 346 hostages were rescued, and around 50 attackers were neutralized.