QUETTA : At least six commuters suffered injuries when Rawalpindi-bound Nawab Akbar Bugti Express was targeted with the help of an IED in district Bolan.

As per reports, the IED exploded when Nawab Akbar Bugti Express was moving towards Rawalpindi, resulting in injuries to six passengers. The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Machh.

The hospital sources identified the wounded commuters as Shahid s/o Muhammad Aslam (Lodhran), Mohsin s/o Gul Sher (Jhang), Arshad Iqbal s/o Muhammad Arshad (TT Singh), Mir Muhammad s/o Sulan (Dera Allah Yar), Mohsin s/o Mir Ahmed and Abdul Ghaffar s/o Muhammad Ibrahim (Sadiqabad).

The railway officials stopped all trains after the incident and permitted them to leave for their destinations following security clearance.

Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri condemned the subversive attempt and directed police to take strict security measures at railway tracks. One bogie of the train was damaged in the blast and a portion of the track destroyed, railway official Aamir Baloch said. Taliban, sectarian groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State operate in the strategically important region which borders Iran and Afghanistan. Balochistan is located at the centre of infrastructure projects that form part of CPEC which has brought US$57 billion of investment to Pakistan.

 Violence in the southwestern region has caused security concerns and threat to CPEC.

Separatists in Balochistan who have long battled the state for a greater share from the resources of the province accuse the federal government of discrimination.