DERA MURAD JAMALI: At least 13 people, including two police officers, were wounded when a hand grenade exploded near a police vehicle in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan on Wednesday, officials said.
Senior Superintendent of Police Ghulam Sarwar Bhayo said unidentified attackers targeted a police mobile patrolling near Shah Petrol Pump in Dera Murad Jamali. The explosion injured police constables Shamsuddin and Abdul Rasheed Junejo along with several bystanders, including women and children.
The injured civilians were identified as Gul Babo, Mahad, Syed Khan, Nazir Solangi, Ahmed, Barkat Abro, Muhammad Nawaz Bhangar, Muhammad Ishaq Mengal, and Imam Bakhsh. They were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Following the blast, security forces sealed the area and began a search operation to trace the attackers. Authorities said the police van appeared to be the intended target, though no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
In a separate attack the same day, unidentified gunmen opened fire and launched four rockets at the Jaffar Express passenger train in Dera Murad Jamali. Security personnel on board returned fire, forcing the assailants to flee into nearby fields.
Railway officials said the attack caused minor damage to several compartments but no casualties were reported. The train was halted at Dera Murad Jamali Railway Station while law enforcement agencies conducted a large-scale search of the surrounding area.
Authorities later confirmed that the situation was brought under control and additional security was deployed along the route to prevent further incidents.
The Jaffar Express, which operates between Quetta and Peshawar, has come under attack several times in recent years. In one incident last month, a bomb exploded on the railway track in Mastung district, injuring at least a dozen passengers and derailing four coaches.
Investigators said the device was an improvised explosive planted beside the track and detonated as the train passed. The explosion caused extensive damage to the line, disrupting train services in the region for several hours. No group claimed responsibility.
The passenger service was also attacked near Quetta Railway Station in September last year, while earlier this year the train was briefly hijacked in the Bolan Valley by militants.
The most serious assault occurred in March, when terrorists hijacked the Jaffar Express carrying more than 400 passengers through the Dhadar area of Bolan Pass. The assailants detonated explosives on the tracks and in nearby tunnels, bringing the train to a halt in a remote mountainous area.
Before security forces could respond, the attackers shot and killed 21 passengers. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry later confirmed that a clearance operation was launched to rescue the remaining hostages.
“All 33 terrorists have been eliminated,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said in a televised statement. “Four Frontier Corps personnel embraced martyrdom during the operation.”
He said the militants had been in contact with handlers across the border in Afghanistan and used passengers, including women and children, as human shields. Security snipers targeted suicide bombers among them before they could detonate their explosives.
“No one will be allowed to make innocent Pakistanis victims of their barbarism in trains, markets or buses,” the military spokesperson added. “This incident has changed the rules of the game.”
Balochistan has witnessed a renewed surge in militant activity in recent months, with security forces, infrastructure projects, and transport routes frequently targeted. Officials say the latest attacks highlight the persistent threat posed by armed groups seeking to destabilise the province.
Authorities have stepped up patrols and intelligence operations across several districts, vowing to pursue those responsible for recent bombings and train assaults.
