Pakistan: Massive explosion on Jaffar Express derails multiple coaches; several injured

Balochistan Republican Guards on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a major attack on the Jaffar Express in Sultan Kot , a location between Shikarpur and Jacobabad in Pakistan , local reports said.

The attack was carried out using a remote-controlled IED, officials confirmed.

The powerful explosion hit the train, which was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, causing it to derail and injuring four passengers, local authorities said.

In a widely circulated post, the militant group said, "the train was attacked at a time when personnel of the occupying Pakistani army were traveling on board."

It added, "as a result of the explosion, several soldiers were killed and injured and six coaches of the train derailed."

Shikarpur Police confirmed the explosion happened near the village of Sultan Kot, damaging part of the track and forcing multiple train coaches off the rails.

Earlier in March this year, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the same train. The Jaffar Express is often a target for Baloch militants because it frequently carries Pakistani forces between Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, and Punjab. The train was attacked twice in 2023 at the same spot.

On the same date in 2016, the BLA attacked the Jaffar Express near Machh, killing six people and injuring 19 in two explosions.