Two explosions targeting military personnel on a passenger train killed at least six people and wounded 19 others in Balochistan Friday, officials said. The attack, claimed by Baloch Liberation Army, came as the Rawalpindi-bound Jaffer Express was passing the town of Much, 55 kilometres (35 miles) east of Quetta. "The explosions damaged two passenger carriages and killed six people besides wounding 19 others," senior local Pakistan Railways official Imtiaz Ahmad told AFP, updating the earlier toll of three deaths.
He said the fresh toll came after railway officials finalised the list of dead and injured. It was also confirmed by a senior doctor at the local hospital Noor Baluch. A spokesman for the Baloch Liberation Army said the attack had targeted "military personnel who travel to Rawalpindi by this train". Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif "strongly condemned the attack and directed authorities concerned to find the culprits and bring them to task immediately," an official statement said.
Divisional Superintendent, Pakistan Railways, Quetta division, Hanif Gul told APP that unidentified men planted two bombs at railway track in an area. "Six bodies were placed at hospital and 21 injured passengers were brought to Quetta from the scene," the sources said. "Jaffar Express left Quetta Railway Station at around 9am for Rawalpindi and after few minutes stay at Mach Railway Station, it was targeted by terrorists in an area between Much and Aab-e-Gum, some seven kilometres off Mach town," an official said.
The locomotive of the train was also partially damaged. Two bogies were badly damaged as twin bombs ripped through them. The rescue teams including Army Aviation helicopter rushed to the scene and 10 injured were brought to Combined Military Hospital Quetta by Army helicopter and 11 others were also shifted to Quetta by road. According to doctors, condition of some injured was critical. According to bomb disposal squad, five kg of explosives were used in the blasts which had a nature of Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
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