New Delhi: The tense atmosphere within the Jaffar Express was shattered by a sudden eruption of gunfire as Pakistani security forces launched an assault on the hijacked train on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of all 33 separatist insurgents and the rescue of hundreds of hostages.
The standoff, which lasted throughout the day and was characterized by explosions and threats to hostages, commenced when Baloch rebels attacked the train in Balochistan, demanding the release of prisoners.
As special forces advanced, insurgents equipped with suicide vests mingled among the frightened passengers. In a meticulously coordinated final assault, commandos neutralized the attackers. Tragically, the incident resulted in the deaths of 21 passengers and four security personnel.
“Today, we successfully rescued numerous individuals, including women and children. The final operation was carried out with the highest level of caution,” stated Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry during a press briefing. He emphasized that no civilians were harmed during the concluding phase of the operation.
The Baloch Liberation Army, which took responsibility for the assault, had previously sabotaged the railway track and launched rockets at the Jaffar Express on Tuesday.
Prior to the military’s announcement, the Baloch Liberation Army claimed to have killed 50 passengers on Wednesday evening. On Tuesday, they asserted that they were holding 214 individuals, primarily security personnel.
The group had issued a warning that it would commence executing hostages if the authorities did not comply with their 48-hour ultimatum to release Baloch political prisoners, activists, and those they alleged had been abducted by the military.
The BLA is the largest among several ethnic armed factions engaged in conflict with the government in Balochistan, a region that borders Afghanistan and Iran.
In recent months, these rebels have escalated their attacks, employing new strategies to inflict significant casualties and target Pakistan’s military forces.
Baloch rebel factions assert that they are fighting for a more equitable distribution of the region’s mineral resources, which they claim are monopolized by the central government.
Special forces conclude train siege
According to junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry, the rescue mission faced significant challenges as rebels positioned themselves among the hostages, donning suicide vests. He estimated that between 70 and 80 assailants had taken control of the train.
The military responded by deploying hundreds of soldiers, supported by the air force and special forces, Chaudhry noted.
During the final stage of the operation, special forces initially neutralized the suicide bombers, after which troops systematically cleared each carriage to eliminate the remaining insurgents.
