SHIKARPUR: A powerful explosion ripped through a railway track near Sultan Kot in Sindh’s Shikarpur district, derailing four carriages of the Jaffar Express traveling from Quetta to Peshawar and injuring four passengers, local authorities said.
The blast triggered panic in the area and forced authorities to suspend train services on the route temporarily.
Rescue teams rushed to the site and launched relief operations, while police confirmed that the explosion occurred near Sultan Kot village, damaging a section of the track and knocking several coaches off the rails.
The incident happened as the Jaffar Express passed through the area. The injured passengers, who suffered minor wounds, were taken to a nearby hospital for first aid.
Law enforcement personnel and large contingents of police quickly reached the scene to secure the area and assist rescue efforts. Authorities cordoned off the site and opened an investigation into the cause of the blast.
Balochistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist attacks in recent years. Militants have increasingly targeted railway lines and other transport infrastructure across the province.
In August 2025, a powerful explosion ripped through the tracks in Mastung, derailing six carriages of the Jaffer Express. No casualties were reported, but the blast forced authorities to suspend train services to and from Balochistan for four days. The Fitna al Hindustan claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Just months earlier, in March 2025, armed militants bombed a section of track in the Bolan region, the fighters hijacked the Jaffer Express and held more than 100 passengers hostage for hours. The standoff ended in bloodshed as security forces launched a counter-operation, leaving all terrorists and freeing the hostages. Several militants and civilians are dead.
Other attacks have targeted key railway infrastructure. An explosive device detonated between Mach and Ab-e-Gum injured a railway worker and disrupting traffic, while militants also struck a major railway bridge in the Bolan Pass, damaging the track over a dry riverbed and halting traffic on the crucial Quetta–Sibi route.
