Jaffar Express hit by major explosion, multiple coaches derail
Sultan Kot
A powerful explosion on the Jaffar Express in Sultan Kot, Balochistan, derailed several coaches on Tuesday, leaving four passengers injured. Local authorities confirmed that the blast was triggered by a remote-controlled IED, disrupting the train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. The Balochistan Republican Guards (BRG) claimed responsibility, stating the attack targeted Pakistani army personnel aboard the train. The group further claimed that several soldiers were killed or injured in the incident.
Shikarpur Police reported that the explosion damaged the railway track, causing six coaches to derail. Sultan Kot, located between Shikarpur and Jacobabad, has historically been a hotspot for attacks by Baloch militant groups. The Jaffar Express has been repeatedly targeted over the years due to its regular transport of Pakistani security forces from Quetta, the Balochistan capital, to Punjab.
Earlier this year in March, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the same train, and the Jaffar Express was attacked twice in 2023 at the same stretch. In a similar incident on October 7, 2016, the BLA carried out two explosions near Machh, killing six people and injuring 19.
In September this year, a blast on the railway track in 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 Jacobabad district of Sindh targeted the train, derailing four coaches. No casualties were reported in that attack.