Samjhauta Express suspended from March 3

CPRO Northern Railways on Thursday announced that the Samjhauta Express from India has been suspended with effect from March 3, till further notification.

An official announcement highlighted the "cancellation" of the bi-weekly train Delhi-Attari-Delhi till further order.

However, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday had said that the Samjhauta Express that runs between Delhi and Attari will run as per schedule, amidst reports that Pakistan had halted the service of the train.

The Samjhauta Express, or the peace train, is a bi-weekly train that runs on Wednesday and Sunday between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan. It comprises six sleeper coaches and an AC 3-tier coach.

The train departs from the Old Delhi Railway Station at 11.10 pm on Wednesday and Sunday. On its return journey from Lahore, the train arrives in India on Monday and Thursday.

A day after India carried out air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Jammu and Kashmir saw heightened military activity on February 27, with Pakistani jets violating the Indian air space and dropping some bombs in Rajouri sector after which one of their fighters was shot down.

India also claimed it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday morning to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down an F-16 fighter plane.