The Quetta-bound Jaffar Express narrowly escaped a bomb attack on Monday after a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) planted near the railway track in the Sariab area detonated on the Quetta–Sibi section, officials said. No loss of life or property was reported.

According to officials, unidentified attackers had planted the explosive material near the track with the intent to sabotage the line and target the passenger train, which was travelling from Peshawar to Quetta. The device went off close to the time the train passed through the area, causing only minor damage to the track. The damage was cleared and the train was brought safely to Quetta, railway sources said.

Officials described the blast as a terrorist act aimed at targeting the Jaffar Express, adding that a major tragedy was averted. According to media reports, the train remained completely safe and passengers were unharmed.

Security forces cordoned off the area soon after the explosion and launched an investigation, while a bomb disposal squad inspected the remaining stretch of track for any further devices. No group had immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Jaffar Express, which operates on the Quetta–Peshawar route, has been targeted repeatedly over the past year, making it one of the most frequently attacked passenger services in Pakistan. The worst incident came on 11 March 2025, when Banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants ambushed and hijacked the Peshawar-bound train in the Bolan Pass area of Balochistan, taking hundreds of passengers hostage; security forces later cleared the train and rescued the passengers after a prolonged operation.

Balochistan has seen a sustained rise in attacks on transport and railway infrastructure, with the Quetta–Sibi and Quetta–Peshawar sections among the most affected. Authorities have repeatedly warned that the targeting of railway lines poses a continued risk to civilian passengers travelling through the province.