Days of unrest seem to be back in Pakistan's restive Balochistan as suspected insurgents reportedly detonated bombs targeting two trains, including the Jaffar Express, reports said. While the intended damage was not caused by the blasts, the militants did succeed in damaging railway tracks and disrupting services in the region, Pakistani officials reportedly confirmed on Saturday.
The railway disruptions were caused by damage to the tracks on the main line. However, there were no immediate reports of loss of life following the blasts. It was also not known if it was the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) that was behind the attacks.
While the first blast damaged about three feet of railway track in Mushkaf, the second one was reported in the Dasht area, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Quetta, Shahid Nawaz, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. While the first bomb's target was found to be the Jaffar Express, the second attack intended to hit the Bolan Mail, the police official revealed. The Bolan Mail is a long-distance train that runs between Karachi and Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. The train is named after the Bolan Pass, a historic mountain pass in Balochistan.
Nawaz said that from Saturday, security approval will be granted before confirming passenger train schedules from Quetta to other provinces of Pakistan.
“The safety and security of the passengers is paramount to us, and special security measures are being taken for all Quetta-outbound passenger trains,” he said.
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Amid security concerns, a special service of the Jaffar Express train was allowed to leave for Peshawar on Saturday. A railway official said a special service of the Jaffar Express was run to manage the passenger rush, while normal services are waiting for security clearance.
It is not the first time insurgents have attacked the Jaffar Express, and its service has already been hit multiple times this year. Insurgents have attacked the Jaffar Express and Bolan Mail at least three times in the past two months, damaging tracks but causing no deaths.
On 11 March, the train became the target of an unprecedented hijacking when terrorists fired on the locomotive and took nearly 400 passengers hostage. Over 20 people were killed in the attack, while security forces rescued others and killed 33 insurgents.