At least seven people were injured in a blast that occurred on a railway track, which derailed five bogies of a Jaffar Express in Pakistan's southwestern Sindh province on Tuesday. The Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express was targeted near Somarwah, close to Sultan Kot in the Shikarpur district of Sindh. The injured passengers were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.
A rescue operation is currently underway at the site, with heavy police and paramilitary forces cordoning off the area. Authorities have started collecting evidence to ascertain the cause of the explosion. Initial reports indicate that the railway track has suffered considerable damage.
Baloch Republican Guards claim responsibility
The Baloch insurgent group, the Baloch Republican Guards, claimed responsibility for the bombing.
A spokesperson for the BRG issued a press release stating, "We take responsibility for the explosion on the Jaffar Express in the Shikarpur-BRG area. Today, freedom fighters from the Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) targeted the Jaffar Express with a remote-controlled IED explosion at Sultan Kot, located between Shikarpur and Jacobabad. The train was attacked while soldiers of the occupying Pakistani army were traveling on it. The explosion killed and injured several soldiers and derailed six coaches of the train. The BRG takes responsibility for this attack and declares that such operations will continue until Balochistan's independence."
Jafar Express was targeted multiple times
The Jafar Express, which runs between Quetta and Peshawar, has been repeatedly targeted in recent months, with the attack in March being the worst.
In September this year, a blast on the railway track in the Dasht area of Mastung, Balochistan, destroyed one coach of Jaffar Express and derailed six others, leaving 12 passengers injured.
On August 10, four people were injured when an improvised explosive device derailed six coaches of the train in the Mastung district.
On August 4, the pilot engine sent for clearance came under gunfire near Kolpur. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the latter attack.
In June 2025, another explosion in the Jacobabad district of Sindh targeted the train, derailing four coaches. No casualties were reported in that attack.
On March 11, the Jaffar Express was hijacked, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, including security personnel. Security forces in a targeted operation killed 33 terrorists involved in attacking the train and rescued 354 hostages.
(With PTI inputs)
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