The terrorists opened fire in a passenger train to Peshawar since Quetta near the Bolan district in Baluchistan on Tuesday, state media reported, which caused an operation to rescue almost 500 passengers on board, since the authorities have not yet confirmed the casualties or more details about the attack.
State media Pakistan radio and PTV news He informed “security sources” that the terrorists attacked Jaffar Express in the Dhadar area of Bolan Pass and had led passengers, including women and children, such as hostages while they remained in communication with their foreign “facilitators”.
They added that the security forces had surrounded the area and launched an authorization operation that would continue until the aggressors were eliminated.
An earlier statement from the Baluchistan government spokesman Shahid Rind, said there were reports of “intense shots in an Express Jaffa [train]that he was going to Quetta to Peshawar, between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar. ”
The Railways Muhammad Kashif controller said the train, which includes nine coaches, has about 500 passengers on board.
“The train was arrested by armed men in tunnel No. 8. Efforts are being made to contact passengers and staff,” said the controller.
“The trains are stuck just before a tunnel that surrounds the mountain, while the security has also been reinforced on the N-65 road,” Rana Muhammad Dilawar, a police officer of the Kachhi Bolan district. Dawn.com.
Reuters They reported that the security forces said an explosion was heard near the tunnel and that they were exchanging fire with the militants in the mountainous area.
The Mashkaf tunnel is about 157 kilometers from Quetta and approximately 21 km from Sibi.
Although the Quetta-Jacobad N65 road and the railway line run mainly from side to side through the Bolan region, diverge near the city of Mashkaf.
From here, the railway line takes a more direct road, cutting the mountains and running along the Bolan River, joining the main road near Mach.
The Mashkaf tunnel is in a very isolated part of the resistant area, with the closest station located in Pehro Kunri. The next stop on the line towards Quetta is the stop in Paneer, just before the Paneer tunnel.
According to the government statement, an emergency has been imposed at the Sibi hospital, while ambulances and security forces were directed to the site of the incident. However, Rind added, the officials faced difficulties to reach the site due to the rocky terrain.
“The railway department has sent more trains to the site to provide rescue,” the statement said.
“The incident scale and the possibility of terrorist elements are being determined. The Baluchistan government ordered emergency measures to be taken, and all institutions remain active. “
Rind urged the public to remain calm and avoid paying attention to rumors.
Tariq Mahmood, the emergency counter of the Peshawar Railway Station, told the incident, he said Dawn.com that “four people aboard the train are government officials and residents of Peshawar.”
He said that one of them was supposed to go down in Peshawar, two in Nowshera, and it was supposed to leave at a station in the Attock district.
Mahmood said that “Jaffar Express arrives to Peshawar in 34 hours after passing through different areas of the four provinces. Most people from different Punjab areas board the train after taking off from Quetta.”
An emergency has also been declared at the Quetta Civil Hospital, according to the spokesman of the Department of Health, Dr. Waseem Baig. “All consultants, doctors, pharmacists, nursing staff and paramedic staff have been summoned to the hospital,” Baig said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the incident, saying: “The beasts that trigger innocent passengers do not deserve any concession.”
He also prayed for the rapid recovery of the injured in the shot, according to a statement.
The Interior Minister of Sindh, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, also firmly condemned the incident.
“The atrocious plans of the anti -national and antisocial elements will never be allowed,” said the statement. “The government of Sindh meets the Baluchistan government.
“The Provincial Police and other agencies of application of the law will put this situation control.”
Former President Arif Alvi condemned the “atrocious and cowardly terrorist attack”, added that people had a united position on such matters. “Here is exactly where undivided attention of the armed forces is required,” he said in an X publication.
The proscribed group of the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BL) attributed the responsibility of the attack.
In October last year, Pakistan Railways had announced the restoration of trains services between Quetta and Peshawar after a suspension of more than a month and a half.
Baluchistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist attacks during the past year. In November 2024, at least 26 people died and 62 were injured after a suicidal explosion crossed a Quetta railway station.
A security report published in January by the group of experts based in Islamabad, Pak Institute for Peace Studies (Pips), showed that in 2024, the number of terrorist attacks reached levels comparable to the security situation in 2014 or before.
He said that while terrorists no longer controlled specific territories within Pakistan as they did in 2014, the predominant insecurity in parts of KP and Baluchistan was “alarming.”
He said that more than 95 percent of the terrorist attacks recorded in 2024 concentrated in KP and Baluchistan.
The attacks of several insurgent groups of Baloch prohibited, mainly the BL and the Liberation Front of Baluchistan, saw an amazing increase of 119 percent, which represents 171 incidents in Baluchistan, he said.
This is a development story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial media reports can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to guarantee punctuality and precision by relying on credible sources, such as qualified and worried authorities and our staff reporters.
