In an ongoing operation that began Tuesday afternoon, security forces have successfully rescued at least 155 hostages and eliminated 27 terrorists who hijacked the Jaffar Express in Balochistan’s Bolan district.
The train, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar with approximately 400 passengers, was seized near a tunnel by an unidentified number of militants. Reports indicate at least 200 security personnel were also onboard. While reports of the assault reached authorities around 1 p.m., the rugged mountainous terrain made it challenging for forces to reach the area, delaying rescue efforts until later in the afternoon.
The attackers bombed the railway track before storming the train and opening fire on the locomotive, injuring the driver. They then took control of the halted train near a tunnel. Authorities deployed helicopters but proceeded cautiously due to intelligence suggesting that some militants were equipped with suicide vests and intended to use passengers as human shields.
By late Tuesday night, security forces had freed over 100 hostages, initially transporting them to Machh before their return to Quetta. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) later claimed responsibility for the attack, admitting to taking a significant number of passengers hostage. It warned that any military operation in response would have “severe consequences,” and has demanded an “unconditional release of Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons and national resistance activists.”
Ongoing operation
In response to the crisis, railway officials suspended train services from Quetta to other parts of the country for three days. Security forces, upon reaching the site, cordoned off the area, leading to a fierce gun battle with the militants.
Officials reported that the terrorists had split into smaller groups after security forces launched their operation. Seventeen rescued passengers sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. While the total casualty count remains unconfirmed, at least 10 people, including security personnel and the train’s driver, were reportedly among the deceased.
A senior security official alleged that the attackers were using satellite phones to coordinate with handlers abroad, including a mastermind based in Afghanistan. Provincial government spokesman Shahid Rind confirmed that an emergency had been declared in Sibi and Civil Hospital Quetta.
Security sources also pointed to possible foreign involvement, highlighting how Indian media, social media platforms, and anti-state accounts rapidly spread false and misleading narratives following the attack.
Condemnations
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack in separate statements, commending security forces for their swift and effective response.
President Zardari denounced the targeting of innocent civilians as an inhumane act, emphasizing that the Baloch people strongly opposed such atrocities against unarmed passengers, including elders and children. He stated that no religion or society condones such brutality and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.
Prime Minister Sharif praised the security forces for maintaining high morale under challenging conditions and pushing back the “cowardly terrorists.” He expressed confidence that the operation would soon conclude with the complete elimination of the militants. Sharif further condemned the attackers, stressing that they were enemies of Balochistan’s progress and development. He pointed out that targeting innocent civilians during the holy month of Ramzan proved that these terrorists had no connection with Islam, Pakistan, or Balochistan.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack, praying for the recovery of the injured and stating, “Those who open fire on innocent passengers deserve no leniency,” he said.
Pakistan is currently facing a resurgence in terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Authorities have repeatedly accused neighboring Afghanistan of allowing its territory to be used as a base for militants launching attacks inside Pakistan.