Quetta, Jan 20 (IANS) A main railway track near Dera Murad Jamali in Pakistan’s Balochistan was blown up by unidentified assailants, suspending train link between Quetta and the rest of the country for few hours, local media reported on Tuesday.
According to police, some unknown assailants planted an explosive device at the main railway track in Dera Murad Jamali on Monday and detonated it, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported.
Police officials said, “Around two-foot-long portion of the track was blown up, suspending rail service.” They mentioned that police and law enforcement personnel reached the site of the incident soon after the blast and began an investigation.
They said the explosive device was detonated using remove control and around three kilogrammes of explosion was used to carry out the blast.
Earlier this month, an explosion occurred after unknown assailants using explosive material targetted a railway track near the national highway in the Notal area of Nasirabad in Balochistan, local media reported.
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 another 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.
In December last year, 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, 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 targetted the train.
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.
–IANS
akl/as
