Attackers blew up part of the main railway track in Balochistan’s Nasirabad district as the Jaffar Express was approaching the area, forcing Pakistan Railways to suspend train services between Quetta and Jaffarabad, officials said.
No one was killed or injured in the blast, which targeted the line in the Domboli and Gulab-Lahro area of the district, Dawn reported. A portion of the track was damaged, and railway officials began repair work.
What happened
According to officials, a hand grenade was used to attack the main railway track. The Jaffar Express, one of the country’s best-known long-distance trains, was approaching the area when the explosion took place.
Police and security personnel reached the site and began an investigation. The attackers were described only as “unidentified miscreants”, and no group had claimed responsibility by the time of reporting.
Train services between Quetta and Jaffarabad were suspended while the damaged section was repaired.
Two killed in a separate attack
In a separate incident in the same district, two people were killed and one was injured when three unidentified armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on a car in the Subhani area of Nasirabad, according to Dawn. The motive for the shooting was not immediately known.
A train that has been targeted before
The attack revived memories of the most serious assault on Pakistan’s railways in recent years. On 11 March 2025, the Jaffar Express, carrying at least 380 passengers from Quetta to Peshawar, was hijacked by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The attackers set off explosives in tunnels and on the track before opening fire on the train and halting it in a remote mountainous area.
Security forces ended the siege the following day in an operation codenamed Operation Green Bolan, freeing 354 hostages. Officials said at least 64 people were killed, a toll that included 18 soldiers travelling on leave and the 33 attackers. After that attack, Pakistan Railways temporarily suspended train operations between Balochistan and the provinces of Punjab and Sindh.
The Jaffar Express runs daily between Quetta and Peshawar, a journey of about 1,632 kilometres that takes around 34 hours, crossing Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Balochistan’s security challenge
The attack is the latest security incident in Balochistan, where railway lines have been targeted before. On Saturday, the military said more than 71 terrorists had been killed in a four-day operation in the province, as the state stepped up action against armed groups.
At the same time, the provincial government has been trying to show progress on development and public services. In Quetta, the new Jinnah Peoples Train, the province’s first mass transit project, has been completed on a 32-kilometre stretch of track and is due to open to the public soon.
Why it matters
The railway links Balochistan with the rest of the country, and the Jaffar Express is one of its main passenger services to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Each attack on the line suspends services and adds to the sense of insecurity along the route. No one was hurt this time, as the blast went off before the train reached the damaged section.
This article draws on reporting by Dawn, with background on the 2025 hijacking from Wikipedia.
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