Pakistan forces end Jaffar Express standoff; 21 hostages, 4 troops killed

A tense standoff aboard the Jaffar Express concluded on Wednesday when Pakistani security forces launched an operation, killing all 33 separatists and rescuing hundreds of passengers.

The crisis began when Baloch militants attacked the train in Balochistan, detonating explosives and taking hostages while demanding the release of prisoners.

As commandos moved in for the final assault, they systematically neutralised the separatists. While the operation successfully freed numerous hostages, it resulted in the deaths of 21 passengers and four security personnel.

Military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said: “Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children … The final operation was carried out with great care.” He added that no civilians were harmed in the concluding phase of the mission.

BLA attacks rail tracks

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which claimed responsibility for the attack, had sabotaged railway tracks and fired rockets at the Jaffar Express. The train, carrying 440 passengers, was en route from Quetta in Balochistan to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it was ambushed.

Before the military’s official statement, the BLA had claimed responsibility for killing 50 passengers on Wednesday evening. On Tuesday, the group declared it was holding 214 individuals, including security personnel.

The group had warned that hostages would be executed if the government failed to meet their demands within 48 hours. They sought the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists, and individuals they alleged had been forcibly taken by the military.

According to junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry, the separatists blended in with hostages, wearing explosive vests to complicate the rescue mission. He estimated that 70 to 80 attackers were involved in the hijacking.

Passengers described the terror of the attack. Muhammad Ashraf, a 75-year-old survivor, recounted the moment of impact, saying that he heard a powerful explosion in the mountainous area, which shook the entire train.

(With Reuters inputs)