The freed hostages of Jaffar Express, which was hijacked by members of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), have described the terrifying ordeal.
Passengers from the Jaffar Express, a train hijacked by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebels, have shared terrifying details of their ordeal.
Attack on Jaffar Express
On Tuesday, armed rebels ambushed the Jaffar Express, which was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar with 440 passengers. The attackers used an explosive to stop the train, then stormed in, killing 21 civilians and four security officers. After 30 hours of chaos, Pakistani forces launched a final attack, killing all 33 militants.
Survivors Describe Horror
Train driver Amjad recalled how the rebels blasted the train’s engine, causing it to derail.
“As soon as the train stopped, they attacked,” he said. “They smashed windows and forced their way inside.”
Many passengers sat frozen in fear for over a day. The militants separated people based on their region of origin.
One survivor, Arslan Yousaf, said the rebels focused on security personnel. “Sometimes, they took soldiers and executed them,” he told Reuters. “Other times, they killed specific individuals they had grudges against.”
Another hostage, Mehboob Ahmed, was shot multiple times. He described two failed escape attempts: “Some people got away, but many were shot dead.”
Passenger Muhammad Tanveer said the hostages were given only water to survive.
A Deadly Standoff
Balochistan, a region with valuable resources, has seen frequent attacks by separatists. But this was the first time a passenger train was hijacked.
The attack began when militants blew up a railway track, forcing the train to stop in the remote Bolan region. They entered with rocket launchers, grenades, and automatic weapons, taking hostages and fighting off security forces.
By Wednesday, Pakistan’s military launched a full-scale rescue operation. Special forces cleared the train car by car. After hours of battle, all militants were killed, and over 300 passengers were freed.
Conflicting Reports
While Pakistan’s military declared victory, the BLA disputed this. The group claimed they had released hostages, not the military.
“The state abandoned its hostages to die,” said BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch.
In response to the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif traveled to Quetta for a security briefing on Thursday.
