Security forces are proceeding with utmost caution in the ongoing operation against militants who hijacked the Jaffar Express train, as the terrorists are using hostages, including women and children, as human shields, said Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Wednesday.
Speaking with Geo News, the newly inducted minister said he could not share all details of the ongoing operation with media to avoid any potential mishaps. He said initial reports suggested 70-80 terrorists were involved in the attack that occurred around 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to security sources, officials have killed 30 terrorists so far. They have vowed to continue the operation until every single militant has been eliminated. They said the terrorists had splintered to smaller groups, with each group “hiding” behind hostages, hampering efforts to eradicate them and secure the release of the victims. The operation to further hampered by the challenging terrain.
Chaudhry, meanwhile, said approximately 190 of the over 400 hostages had been freed thus far, adding more details would become clear in the evening.
He said authorities had dispatched a relief train with medical and food stocks from Quetta to the affected area in Bolan district. After delivering the items, he said, the train would return to Quetta with all hostages who had been released thus far.
Earlier, authorities had transported 155 hostages who were freed. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has claimed responsibility for the attack, had said it had freed some of them. However, this could not be independently verified.
According to some of the released hostages who spoke with media, the militants had initially detonated explosives, forcing the train to stop. Subsequently, they opened fire on the train, injuring the driver, and entered the bogies. The militants then checked the ID cards of all passengers and took most of them hostage. A few were allowed to leave, forcing them to walk back to the nearest train station.
In a statement, the BLA has demanded the release of all prisoners and “missing persons,” warning that it would start shooting hostages in groups of 10 if its demands are not accepted.
Condemnations
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has strongly condemned the attack. “The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions,” he said. Similar condemnations have poured in from various political leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also voiced his grave concern. “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the hijacking of a train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province,” said a spokesman for the U.N. chief. Guterres called for the immediate release of the hostages, emphasizing that attacks against civilians are unacceptable.