Islamabad: Four low-intensity blasts on
railway tracks in southern Pakistan today injured three
persons and disrupted train services from the port city of
Karachi to other parts of the country, officials said.
The blasts partially damaged tracks in Karachi and
three other places in Sindh province, Pakistan Railways
General Manager Muhammad Ashfaq Khattak said.
Three persons standing near tracks sustained minor
injuries when a bomb went off at Baloch Colony in Karachi this
morning, police said.
Officials said a major disaster was averted as several
trains were scheduled to pass the damaged tracks, but were
stopped away from the blast sites in time.
Engineers have started repairing the tracks, but
resumption of the services will take several hours, they said.
Bomb disposal squad officials said locally-made
explosive devices were used in the blasts. Security officials
said they suspected banned militant groups were involved in
the attacks.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
However, a little known group Sindh Liberation Army had
reportedly taken responsibility for similar blasts in the
past.
Railway officials said several trains were suspended
after tracks in Karachi and two main cities - Hyderabad and
Nawabshah - were blown up.
Train services to other parts of Pakistan too were
affected.
All the explosions occurred within minutes of each
other and appeared to be part of a coordinated attack.
Unidentified attackers had fired rockets at a train in
southwestern Balochistan province late last night, injuring
four persons and damaging its engine, officials said.
PTI
