Quetta, Jan 7 (IANS) An explosion occurred after unknown assailants using explosive material targetted a railway track near the national highway in the Notal area of Nasirabad in Pakistan’s Balochistan, local media reported on Wednesday.

The explosion took place when no train was passing through the area. A part of the track was partially damaged due to the explosion. However, there was no loss of life or property, according to police sources, Pakistan’s leading daily The Express Tribune reported. Following the incident, police and security forces reached the spot, cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation to find those involved in the attack.

The movement of train was temporarily suspended as a part of the track was damaged. Railway authorities were working to repair the affected section. Authorities stated that investigations has been launched into the incident and perpetrators behind the attack will be brought to justice.

Last month, a portion of the railway track was damaged after a bomb planted on the track exploded near Dera Murad Jamali in Balochistan, while police defused another explosive device. Police said miscreants had planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on the main railway track near the Notal area of Nasirabad. The device exploded before the Jaffar Express heading from Peshawar to Quetta reached the site, Pakistan’s another leading daily Dawn reported.

In November, the Jaffar Express was attacked in the Bolan Pass area of Balochistan. Railway officials said the Jaffar Express was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when the armed men targeted the train, Dawn reported.

According to railway officials, armed men opened fire at the train when it reached near Aab-i-Gum. Security personnel, including Railway police, travelling on the train, retaliated. However, the attackers escaped from the site after a brief exchange of fire with security personnel. According to railway officials, no casualty was reported in the shooting.

In October, at least seven people were injured after a blast targeted the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express in the Shikarpur district of Sindh, according to officials. Shikarpur Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Abro said that a blast took place on the train tracks. According to him, the blast happened at a distance of one kilometre from the Sultan Kot railway station.

In March last year, the Jaffar Express passenger train on its way from Quetta to Peshawar was hijacked by the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade, and over 400 people were taken as hostages. The train was forced to come to a halt on March 11, 2025, after blowing off the track in the Dhabar area of Bolan Pass in Balochistan.

Security forces and the railway authorities had confirmed that the train had come under attack near Tunnel No. 8 of the Bolan Pass. The standoff ended after more than 24 hours. The BLA claimed to have killed at least 20 of the abducted security personnel after checking their IDs.

–IANS

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