Karachi: Unidentified gunmen opened fire on an express train in Pakistan’s troubled Balochistan province on Tuesday, injuring several passengers, local media reports said.
The attack on the Jaffer Express passenger train took place near Ab-e-Gum area of Mach Town in Balochistan’s Kachhi district, where around six armed men opened fire on the train, spreading panic among passengers, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to initial reports, multiple travellers were wounded in the attack.
Rescue teams and security forces have reached the scene, and an operation is underway to track down the assailants, the paper said.
Railway officials confirmed that the train’s driver sustained serious injuries, and an emergency relief train has been dispatched to assist.
“There are reports of intense firing at a Jaffar Express, which was heading from Quetta to Peshawar, between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar,” Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind was quoted as saying by Dawn.
Meanwhile, Controller Railways Muhammad Kashif said that the train, comprising nine coaches, had around 500 passengers on board.
“The train was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No 8. Efforts are being made to contact the passengers and staff,” the controller said.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups frequently carry out attacks targeting security personnel, government projects and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the region.
