Pakistani security forces stormed the hijacked Jaffar Express train on Wednesday, ending a tense, day-long standoff with separatist militants and rescuing a large number of hostages. The attack, carried out by Baloch separatists, began on Tuesday when militants blew up the railway tracks and fired rockets at the train as it was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar.
The military reported that 21 hostages and four security personnel were killed during the siege, with the attackers—identified as members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA)—being killed in the final operation. Military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that the operation, which involved air and ground forces, was conducted with precision, ensuring no further civilian casualties in the final phase.
Earlier, the BLA claimed to have killed 50 hostages and threatened to execute more unless the government met its demand for the release of Baloch political prisoners. The militants, who are fighting for greater autonomy and control over the region’s resources, had taken 214 people hostage, most of them security personnel.
As part of the operation, special forces neutralized suicide bombers and moved through the train’s carriages to eliminate the remaining militants. Government officials confirmed the rescue of 190 hostages, with over 50 taken to Quetta to be reunited with their families.
Among the passengers was 75-year-old Muhammad Ashraf, who described hearing a loud explosion followed by heavy gunfire before armed militants boarded the train, checking identities and searching for security personnel. Amid the crisis, a concerned relative confronted provincial minister Mir Zahoor Buledi, questioning why trains were not stopped earlier for safety. Buledi assured reporters that measures to enhance security in the region were being implemented.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-rescues-155-hostages-train-dozens-still-held-sources-say-2025-03-12/