QUETTA: Two passenger trains narrowly escaped bomb blasts on the main railway track linking Balochistan with the other three provinces, officials said on Friday.

According to officials, unknown armed men planted an explosive device on the main rail track between Sibi and Mushkaf area of Bolan Pass and detonated it. Another incident of blasting a railway track took place in the Dasht area of Mastung district.

“The targets were the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express and the Karachi-bound Bolan Mail,” police officials said, adding that railway operations were disrupted due to the blasts at two locations.

After receiving information about the explosions, the two trains, which had already departed for their destinations, were stopped at different stations as a precautionary measure. Railway officials said the tracks were damaged in the explosions, adding that after security clearance, engineers and other concerned staff repaired both damaged sections.

“Both passenger trains were allowed to proceed to their destinations after the repair work,” the officials said, adding that the Jaffar Express and Bolan Mail would leave for Peshawar and Karachi, respectively, on Saturday.

Militants have made several attempts to blow up the Jaffar Express over the past two months and have succeeded twice, targeting the train in the Dasht area of Mastung district and in the Shikarpur area of Sindh.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2025