QUETTA, MAR 19 (DNA): Three hand grenades have been recovered from the carriages of the Jaffar Express, which was targeted in a terrorist attack, according to railway police.
Explosive material was found in the train carriages stationed at the locomotive shed at Quetta Railway Station and was successfully defused.
Repairs on the damaged carriages of the Jaffar Express are in progress following the terrorist attack, railway officials said.
The attack, carried out by the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), resulted in terrorists blowing up train tracks and holding over 440 passengers hostage in a day-long standoff in a remote mountain pass in Bolan.
The military successfully cleared the train, rescuing the hostages and eliminating 33 attackers. Prior to the operation, the terrorists martyred 26 passengers, while four security personnel also lost their lives during the rescue mission.
Addressing a press conference recently, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry accused India of being the main sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan, saying that the attack on Jaffar Express was a continuation of this policy.
Five carriages of the train were affected by the attack, and the damaged carriages were transported from Mach, Kachhi district, to Quetta. A total of eight carriages arrived at Quetta Railway Station last night.
The carriages bear bullet marks, and most of the windows are shattered, officials said. Once repairs are completed, the carriages will be made operational for travel.
Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi revealed that drone surveillance would be launched to enhance security for train operations in Balochistan.
Following the attack, Pakistan Railways had suspended train services from Punjab and Sindh to Balochistan as a security measure.
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