QUETTA: The Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express once again escaped an armed attack in the Bolan Pass area of Kachhi district, Balochistan, on Monday.
It was the sixth attack on the Jaffar Express between Quetta and Sibi during the past one and a half months.
Railway officials said the Jaffar Express departed Quetta for its destination, Peshawar, on schedule, and after crossing Mach station, when it reached near Aab-i-Gum, armed men opened fire on the train from the nearby mountains.
Security personnel, including Railways Police travelling on the train, immediately retaliated and returned fire. However, after a brief exchange, the assailants escaped from the area.
Railway officials said all bogies of the Jaffar Express remained safe in the armed attack. “No casualty was reported in the shooting and all passengers travelling on the train remained safe,” a senior railway official said.
He said the train was stopped after the firing incident and later proceeded to its next destination after security clearance. Security on the railway track was tightened following the armed attack on the train.
The Jaffar Express has been facing continuous attacks, including a bomb blast on the railway track between Quetta and Jacobabad.
