QUETTA: Train operations in Balochistan were suspended once again on Friday, just a day after services had resumed following a five-day shutdown triggered by a series of attacks across the province.
Pakistan Railways’ Quetta division spokesperson Muhammad Kashif said in a statement that the Jaffar Express, running from Quetta to Peshawar, and the Karachi-bound Bolan Mail had both been halted again.
He added that the passenger train service between Quetta and Chaman also remains suspended.
Train services had been restored on Thursday after authorities cited an improvement in the security situation. However, officials had noted that mobile internet services were still suspended in several areas of Balochistan, with connectivity in Quetta expected to be restored on Friday.
Meanwhile, the military announced on Thursday the conclusion of “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” following days of mop-up operations after the January 31 attacks. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces killed 216 terrorists during the operation.
The ISPR said 36 civilians, including women and children, and 22 personnel from security forces and law enforcement agencies were martyred. It added that a broader campaign of intelligence-based operations was launched across multiple areas to dismantle terrorist sleeper cells through sustained combing and sanitisation efforts.