Militant attack: Bomb targeting train kills one near Sibi

Remote-controlled IED blast also leaves five passengers injured


Mohammad Zafar April 06, 2016
Rescuers shift a victim to hospital after a bomb tore through the Jaffar Express near Sibi. PHOTO: INP

QUETTA: A Rawalpindi-bound passenger train was hit by a bomb, killing one man and injuring five others near Sibi on Tuesday.

Terrorists remotely triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) on the tracks near Mithiri, around 28 kilometres away from Sibi, as the Jaffar Express chugged past, police said.

The bomb ripped through the second compartment of the train, killing a passenger, namely Mehboob Ali from Quetta, and injuring five more, said Railways Controller Muhammad Kashif.

“The IED was remotely detonated that damaged two compartments of the train which subsequently derailed,” he added.



Personnel of the Frontier Corps, police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the bombsite. The victims were shifted to the nearby Sibi District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors said their wounds were not life-threatening.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but many Punjab-bound trains have been targeted by Baloch separatists in the past.

The latest blast suspended railway traffic for hours. The Lahore-bound Akbar Bugti Express and the Karachi-bound Bolan Mail were also stopped for security reasons. The traffic was restored after security clearance.

Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri announced a cash grant of Rs1 million for the man who died in the train bombing.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th,  2016.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ