Railway authorities suspended train services in Balochistan for one day on Thursday, a day after the Jaffar Express came under a rocket attack in Naseerabad district that the Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) claimed responsibility for.
According to a railway announcement, services on the Quetta–Sibi and Quetta–Chaman sections were suspended for October 29, along with the Sariab–Kuchlak Jinnah Peoples Train. Officials cited technical reasons and necessary repair work for the suspension.
The Quetta-to-Peshawar Jaffar Express was also cancelled, while the service travelling from Peshawar to Quetta was restricted to Jacobabad. Railway officials said affected Jaffar Express passengers would receive full refunds.
The suspension followed an attack on the Jaffar Express near Khaliqabad, within the jurisdiction of Notal Police Station, on Wednesday evening.
According to police, two rockets were fired at the train, while gunfire was also reported in the area. Police said no casualties were reported and the train and its passengers remained unharmed.
The BRG, however, claimed that several Pakistani military personnel were killed or wounded and that the train sustained extensive damage.
In a statement, BRG spokesperson Dostain Baloch said the group’s fighters had targeted the train with small and heavy weapons, alleging that it was carrying Pakistani military personnel.
No official military statement confirming the group’s casualty claims was immediately available.
The Jaffar Express, which operates between Quetta and Peshawar, has repeatedly been targeted. The service is also used by Pakistani military personnel travelling on leave.
In March 2025, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) fighters hijacked the train in the Bolan area after blowing up the railway track. Hundreds of passengers, mostly active Pakistani military personnel, were caught in a prolonged standoff between the attackers and Pakistani forces, with the military and the BLA issuing conflicting accounts of the fighting and its outcome.