Pakistan train hijack: Military operation ends, 33 BLA militants executed

The Pakistan Army announced on Wednesday that it had concluded the military operation to rescue passengers aboard the Jaffar Express, which had been hijacked by militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

According to reports, 33 militants were killed during the operation, and over 300 passengers were successfully rescued from the hijacked train. Tragically, 27 passengers lost their lives.

Pakistan Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif explained that army snipers killed 33 militants at the scene. “We lost four soldiers in the process,” Sharif stated. “The militants hijacked the train around 1 pm on Tuesday. Security personnel are thoroughly checking the train for explosives. We will hunt down the perpetrators and those who supported them.”

The BLA had attacked the Jaffar Express, which was carrying around 500 passengers and traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. The militants derailed the train using explosives and hijacked it near the mountainous regions of Gudalar and Piru Kunri, in a tunnel located 160 kilometers from Quetta.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his grief over the deaths of the hostages, stating that the entire nation was deeply shocked by the "dastardly act." He added that Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti had briefed him on the latest developments regarding the terrorist attack. Sharif asserted that such cowardly acts would not undermine Pakistan's resolve for peace.

Following the attack, the BLA issued a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing persons abducted by the Pakistani military. The BLA warned that all hostages would be executed if their demands were not met and if military intervention continued.

Reports also indicate that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif plans to visit Quetta to assess the security situation in the aftermath of the attack.

Differing Claims

Meanwhile, the BLA has disputed the Pakistan Army’s statement, claiming that the operation has not ended. They assert that more than 50 hostages were killed and over 150 are still under their control. These claims could not be independently verified.

Hostages Recall the Horror

Upon being freed, passengers recounted the terror they experienced after the bombs exploded and gunshots were fired before the train was hijacked.

One passenger, Hamid, shared his ordeal with the BBC, explaining that the militants separated women, children, and soldiers who were returning home on leave. They checked everyone's identity cards and shot three soldiers dead.

Even after safely deboarding the train, passengers described walking through the hilly terrain in the cold night for more than four hours, carrying their young children on their shoulders, until they finally reached the nearest railway station.