Pakistan Army Ends 30-Hour Train Siege; 25 Killed, All 33 Rebels Neutralized
Islamabad: The Pakistani army announced on Wednesday that it had concluded a 30-hour operation to rescue passengers taken hostage by a Baloch rebel group in Balochistan. The military confirmed the deaths of 21 civilians and four security personnel.
In an official statement, the army reported that all 33 militants, including suicide bombers, were killed during the operation.
The crisis began when the Jaffar Express, carrying 440 passengers in nine coaches, was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. Members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) derailed the train using explosives and hijacked it near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri, approximately 160 kilometers from Quetta, on Tuesday.
“Intelligence reports have unequivocally confirmed that the attack was orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from Afghanistan, who were in direct communication with the attackers throughout the incident,” the army’s statement said.
Pakistan has urged the interim Afghan government to prevent its territory from being used for terrorist activities against Pakistan.
Before the army’s announcement, the BLA claimed on Wednesday evening that it had killed 50 passengers. A day earlier, the group had declared that it was holding 214 people, mostly security personnel.
The BLA, the most powerful insurgent group in Balochistan—bordering Iran and Afghanistan—had threatened to execute hostages unless authorities met its 48-hour deadline to release Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing persons allegedly detained by the military.
Why Pakistan Train Siege Rescue Took 30 Hours
The Pakistani army took time to complete the rescue operation because the rebels were using hostages as human shields, Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said.
“The rescue operation continued periodically, and in the final clearance operation in the evening, all remaining hostages were secured. Since the terrorists were using passengers as human shields, the operation was conducted with extreme precision and caution,” he told a news channel.
He explained that snipers first eliminated the suicide bombers before security forces systematically cleared each train compartment. He also confirmed that no passengers were harmed during the final clearance operation.
Baloch Rebels Release Hijack Video
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) released a video showing its fighters bombing a section of the railway track and storming the train on Tuesday afternoon.
The 1-minute, 23-second grainy footage shows passengers huddled on the ground against the backdrop of mountains, while armed rebels stand guard over them.
Passengers who escaped described a harrowing ordeal, including walking for hours through rugged terrain to reach safety.
“I can’t find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying,” said Muhammad Bilal, who had been traveling with his mother on the Jaffar Express, in an interview with AFP.
