Explosion Derails Jaffar Express in Shikarpur; Several Injured

Shikarpur, Sindh: A powerful explosion struck the railway track near **Somerwah, Sultan Kot** in Shikarpur district, causing five carriages of the **Jaffar Express** to derail and leaving several passengers injured. The train was en route from **Peshawar to Quetta** when the blast occurred on Monday.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene, transferring the injured to nearby hospitals. According to police, the **railway track sustained severe damage** due to the explosion. A heavy contingent of **police and Rangers** cordoned off the area and launched an investigation to determine the nature and cause of the blast.

Authorities said an intensive **rescue and recovery operation** was underway. Initial reports suggest that the explosion was a deliberate act targeting the passenger train.

This is not the first time the Jaffar Express has come under attack. The train has been a **repeated target of terrorist incidents** in recent years:

* In **September 2025**, a blast on the tracks in **Dasht, Mastung (Balochistan)** damaged one coach completely and derailed six others, injuring 12 passengers.
* On **August 4, 2025**, an attack was attempted near **Kolpur**, where gunmen fired at a pilot engine sent for track clearance.
* On **March 11, 2025**, a **major terrorist assault** on the Jaffar Express killed 26 people, including soldiers, Frontier Corps personnel, railway staff, and civilians. Over 350 hostages were rescued during that attack.
* In **June 2025**, another explosion in **Jacobabad, Sindh**, derailed four carriages; fortunately, all passengers survived unharmed.

Security forces are investigating whether the latest explosion is linked to previous coordinated attacks targeting the Jaffar Express, one of Pakistan’s key long-distance passenger trains connecting the country’s north and southwest regions.