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KARACHI: An improvised explosive device (IED) blast derailed five coaches of the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express in southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, Pakistan Railways confirmed in yet another attack targeting the train. 

The IED blast took place on a train track near Quetta’s Spezand Railway Station on Sunday morning, the railways said in a press release. It added that five coaches of the 39-Up Jaffar Express train, which runs from Quetta to Peshawar, had been derailed while all passengers remained safe. 

“Railway and security teams are present at the scene, and rescue operations have begun,” the statement said.

It said the railway administration will bring passengers back to the southwestern city of Quetta in light of the security situation, adding that train operations from Quetta will resume after authorities provide security clearance.

Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi condemned the attack.

“Terrorists’ cowardly acts cannot weaken our resolve,” Abbasi said in a statement issued by railways. 

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

This is the fourth incident involving Jaffar Express since it resumed operations in March, following a rare hijacking by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) separatist militants with 400 passengers aboard.

The hijacking in the rugged Bolan mountain range ended on March 12 after an hours-long military operation that killed 33 militants and rescued hostages. The standoff also left 23 soldiers, three railway staff and five passengers dead.

In June, the train narrowly avoided a disaster when a bogie of its power van derailed near Shikarpur’s Mandi Phatak area, according to a report by the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan.

In late July, at least one person was injured when an explosion derailed three coaches of the train in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. 

The coaches derailed in Sindh’s Shikarpur district after the explosion damaged part of the railway track, halting railway operations briefly. 

The train narrowly escaped disaster on Thursday when a bomb planted near the track close to Sibi Railway Station exploded, just after the Jaffar Express passed. 

Pakistan’s railway system faces frequent derailments due to poor maintenance and militant attacks targeting rail tracks, especially in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces.

These incidents underscore an urgent need for infrastructure and security upgrades across the rail network.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has engaged with senior American military and political leadership during his ongoing visit to the United States, the military’s media wing said on Sunday, as Islamabad seeks closer defense and security ties with Washington. 

The development takes place as Pakistan eyes greater collaboration with the US under President Donald Trump. After years of strained relations, mainly over counter‑terrorism disagreements, both nations appear keen to rebuild military and economic ties under the new American administration.

“Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), is undertaking an official visit to the United States,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.

“During the visit, he has engaged in high-level interactions with senior political and military leadership, as well as members of the Pakistani diaspora.”

In Tampa, the Pakistan army chief attended the retirement ceremony of outgoing United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael E. Kurilla, and the change of command ceremony that marked the assumption of command by Admiral Brad Cooper, his successor, the military’s media wing said.

Munir lauded General Kurilla’s leadership and his contributions to strengthening bilateral military cooperation between Pakistan and the US.

He extended his best wishes to Admiral Cooper, expressing confidence in continued collaboration to address shared security challenges, the ISPR added. 

The Pakistani army chief also met US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, where matters of mutual professional interest were discussed, the military’s media wing said.

“On the sidelines, COAS interacted with Chiefs of Defense from friendly nations,” the statement added, without mentioning the names of the countries. 

Munir’s engagements included an interaction with the Pakistani diaspora in the US, during which the army chief urged them to “remain confident in Pakistan’s bright future and to actively contribute to attracting investments.”

“The diaspora reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Pakistan’s progress and development,” the ISPR said. 

Munir’s visit to the US signifies growing closeness between Pakistan and the US. This is the Pakistan army chief’s second visit to the country since June, when Trump hosted him for an unprecedented lunch at the White House. 

Both leaders discussed the tensions in the Middle East, particularly the then Iran-Israel military conflict. 

Under Trump’s renewed outreach, Washington has praised Pakistan’s leadership and reinstated military cooperation previously curtailed over Afghanistan-related concerns. Islamabad, in turn, seeks to balance its longstanding partnership with China, including arms supply and defense infrastructure, with growing engagement with the US. 

Both countries last week finalized a trade deal according to which the US will charge a 19 percent tariff on imports from Pakistan, compared to a 29 percent reciprocal tariff announced in April that had raised alarm in Islamabad.

Separately, Trump highlighted a partnership with Pakistan to develop the country’s oil reserves. 

Pakistan’s powerful military, which has ruled the country directly for nearly half of its history and holds sway in political matters even when not in power, plays a central role in shaping its foreign and security policies.