# Pakistan's Jaffar Express Attacked Again: A Vicious Cycle of Violence in Balochistan
| September 24, 2025*
The screech of derailing coaches and the acrid smoke of an IED blast have once more shattered the fragile calm of Pakistan's railways. On September 23, 2025, the Jaffar Express—carrying over 270 passengers from Peshawar to Quetta—plunged into chaos when an improvised explosive device detonated beneath its tracks in the Dasht area of Mastung district, Balochistan. Six coaches derailed, one overturned, injuring at least 12 people, including women and children. Rescue teams scrambled to extricate the trapped, turning the rugged terrain into a makeshift triage zone. This wasn't a random strike; it's the latest salvo in a relentless insurgency that's turned one of Pakistan's oldest train routes into a symbol of vulnerability. Just hours earlier, another blast targeted troops clearing the same stretch, underscoring the escalating tempo of attacks. As the Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) swiftly claimed responsibility, the nation grapples with a familiar dread: When will the next explosion rip through the rails?
## The Attack: A Timeline of Terror on the Tracks
The Jaffar Express, a colonial-era lifeline snaking 1,600 km through Balochistan's unforgiving mountains, has long been a prized target for separatists. Departing Peshawar in the evening, the Quetta-bound train chugged into Mastung around dusk when the IED—likely planted under the cover of night—erupted with devastating precision. Visuals from the scene, shared widely on X, showed mangled bogies strewn across the dusty tracks, passengers clambering from wreckage, and security forces cordoning off the site.
Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture. "We felt the ground shake, then the carriage flipped," one survivor told Dawn, describing screams echoing through the overturned coach. No fatalities were reported, a small mercy amid the injuries—five confirmed by railways, up to 12 per local police. The BRG, a splinter faction of Baloch militants, hailed the strike as retaliation against "occupational forces," vowing more to come.
This wasn't isolated. Mere hours prior, an explosion near Quetta station halted the Peshawar-bound leg, though the train resumed after checks. Services remain suspended as repairs kick off, stranding travelers and amplifying economic ripples in a region already starved of connectivity.
## A Troubled History: The Jaffar Express as Insurgent Battleground
The Jaffar Express isn't just a train; it's a thread in Pakistan's fraying social fabric. Operational since the British Raj, it ferries families, traders, and troops across ethnic fault lines. But for Baloch separatists, it's a fat target—laden with Punjabi-dominated security personnel and symbolizing Islamabad's "exploitative" grip on mineral-rich Balochistan.
Attacks have escalated since 2023:
- **March 11, 2025**: The deadliest yet—a full hijacking by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) near Bolan Pass. Militants detonated explosives, boarded the train, and held 450+ hostages for 30 hours. 21 passengers and 4 troops killed; security forces stormed it, slaying 33 attackers. Survivors recounted "rain of rockets and bullets," with militants executing escapees.
- **August 10, 2025**: Another IED derailed six coaches near Spezand, injuring four.
- **August 7 & 4, 2025**: Blasts and gunfire near Sibi and Kolpur, BLA-claimed.
- **June 2025**: Remote IED in Jacobabad derailed four bogies.
These aren't anomalies; they're part of a surge—over 100 militant strikes in Balochistan this year alone, per ISPR, killing hundreds. The UN Security Council condemned the March hijacking as "heinous," urging global cooperation against financiers.
| Date | Incident | Casualties | Claimed By |
|------|----------|------------|------------|
| **Sep 23, 2025** | IED derailment in Mastung | 12 injured | BRG |
| **Aug 10, 2025** | IED derailment near Spezand | 4 injured | N/A |
| **Mar 11, 2025** | Hijacking & siege in Bolan | 25 killed, 37 injured | BLA |
| **Nov 2024** | Suicide bombing at Quetta station | 32 killed | BLA |
| **Jan 2023** | Bombing near Bolan | 13 injured | BLA |
## The Roots: Balochistan's Insurgency and Pakistan's Internal Fire
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest yet poorest province, simmers with grievances: Resource extraction without local benefits, forced disappearances, and cultural marginalization. Separatists like BLA and BRG demand independence, accusing Islamabad of "genocide." Pakistan counters by blaming Afghan sanctuaries—ISPR claimed March hijackers coordinated from Helmand, where BLA's No. 2 was later assassinated.
Post-March, rallies erupted at universities like Karachi and Sindh, condemning the attack while praising the military. Yet, arrests followed: A pro-PTI activist jailed for "hate speech" amid accusations of PTI stoking divides. Families besieged hospitals for DNA identification of the dead, highlighting the human toll.
On X, the discourse crackles: @Kashmir_Fact linked the September blast to broader Baloch resistance, tallying casualties. @SAMRIReports shared BRG's claim, noting 10+ injured. Skeptics like @AbhayWalvekar1 quipped about Saudi involvement, blending sarcasm with geopolitical jabs.
## Aftermath and Implications: A Nation on Edge
Rescue ops wrapped swiftly, with the injured airlifted to Quetta hospitals. Railways vowed track repairs by Wednesday, but trust erodes—passengers now eye the rails warily. Economically, disruptions choke Balochistan's trade arteries, exacerbating poverty in a province where 70% live below the line.
Strategically, this piles on Pakistan's woes: TTP clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, border tensions with India and Afghanistan. The March hijack's mastermind's killing in Afghanistan hints at covert ops, but violence persists. Analysts warn of a "losing control" narrative, as Frontline noted post-March: Separatists exploit military overstretch.
## Looking Ahead: Rails of Resilience or Ruin?
The Jaffar Express resumes, as it did post-March with 400+ aboard under heavy guard—a defiant rumble against fear. But without addressing Baloch grievances—through dialogue, not drones— these attacks will echo louder. As one X survivor from March posted: "Dead or alive? We drive on, but for how long?"
In Balochistan's shadowed passes, the train's whistle isn't just a call to journey—it's a cry for justice. Pakistan must listen, or the tracks will run red again.
