In a renewed attempt to target Pakistan’s critical rail infrastructure, unidentified militants opened fire on a pilot engine clearing the route for the Quetta-to-Peshawar Jaffer Express early Monday morning near Tunnel No. 16 in the Bolan district. In response, the train was immediately halted at Dozan Railway Station as a security precaution. Railways officials confirmed that no casualties occurred in the incident.
According to Pakistan Railways, a pilot engine is routinely dispatched ahead of the Jaffer Express from Quetta to Sibi to inspect the tracks for possible sabotage. On Monday morning, as this security protocol was being implemented, the engine came under attack near Tunnel No. 16, a key point along the mountainous route. Levies officials confirmed that five rounds struck the engine, but the driver and onboard staff remained unharmed.
Following the attack, the engine was safely brought to Dozan Station, and a full-scale investigation has been launched by railway security and law enforcement agencies.
The Indian-sponsored terrorist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which Pakistani security officials increasingly refer to as “Fitna-tul-Hindustan,” has claimed responsibility for the assault. Strong condemnations poured in from political and religious leaders, with prominent Sikh figures warning, “RAW is behind repeated attacks on Jaffer Express. The next one could cost even more innocent lives if left unchecked.”
This is not the first time Jaffer Express has been the target of a deadly ambush. On March 11, 2025, the same passenger train was attacked during its journey from Quetta to Peshawar. The incident claimed 26 lives, including 18 personnel from the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps, 3 government officials, and 5 civilian passengers. At the time, over 400 passengers were aboard the nine-coach train. Security forces rescued 354 hostages, 37 of whom were injured.
Just months later, in June 2025, Jaffer Express was again targeted—this time by a bomb explosion in Sindh’s Jacobabad district, causing four carriages to derail. Thankfully, no casualties were reported in that incident.
As attacks continue to escalate against passenger trains, Pakistan Railways has reiterated its commitment to enhanced safety measures, particularly along sensitive stretches of the route. Security agencies are on high alert, and further counter-terrorism operations are expected in the region in the coming days.
