Five boogies of train derail in bomb attack, BRA claimed responsibility

Occupied Balochistan: A Quetta bound passenger train was attacked on Tuesday with a remote control bomb near Dera Murad Jamali, about 400 kilometers from Quetta. The bomb explosion derailed five bogies and injured the driver. The rail traffic between Balochistan and rest of the country was disrupted soon after the blast.

The Railway officials rushed to the spot to help clear the railway traffic for regular traffic. Local Police said unknown saboteurs planted an explosive device along the railway track in Lal Shah area of Dera Murad Jamali and detonated it through remote control device when passenger train Bolan Express heading towards Quetta from Karachi passed by. Consequently, five boogies derailed and the driver also sustained injuries in the explosion.

However, all the passengers remained unhurt in the attack. “The driver had pushed emergency break when he saw a suspicious object fitted to the track. Otherwise blast could have caused score of causalities,” a senior police official said quoting the injured driver. The injured driver, identified as Hakim Ali, was taken to a Government hospital in Sibi for treatment where his condition is stated to be out of danger. The local people had praised the presence of mind of the driver saving precious lives. Heavy contingents of police and other law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot soon after the incident and cordoned off the area.

A very small portion of the track was blown up while another 100 feet portion was partially damaged; a Railway official said adding that the repair work has started. “The repair work will take 24 hours. Two trains from Quetta station had left for Rawalpindi and Karachi but were called back as repair work will take hours,” a Railway official said.

The Bolan Mail could not leave for Karachi due to the explosion and damge to the rail track. According to police, about seven to eight kg of explosives was used in the blast. The Baloch militants mostly target railway tracks and other economic installations in Nasirabad Division. The incident affected the scheduled journey of hundreds of people destined to Karachi, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. Pakistan Railway has announced that all tickets of passengers will be refunded.

Meanwhile Sarbaz Baloch, a spokesperson for BRA (Baloch Republican Army) claimed the responsibility for the attack on railway track in Dera Murad Jamali saying that at least 20 feet of the track was blown up by Baloch fighters. Moreover, he warned the Oil and Gas Companies to leave Balochistan immediately. He urged the International Companies, especially, the Chinese Companies to stop collaborating with Pakistan in exploiting Balochistan’s resources. “The Baloch will not allow any companies to exploit their natural resources without their concent”.

Sarbaz Baloch further said that Pakistan security forces and their local lashkar attacked a village in Chatthar area of Dera Bugti but Baloch Sarmachar arrived to the aid of the villagers and killed three Pakistani soldiers in a face to face battle.

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