Karachi/Islamabad: Pakistani security forces have killed all militants who were holding hostages after seizing control of a train in the restive Balochistan, the state-run media reported on Wednesday. Security sources said that some of the hostages were dead.
The Jaffar Express, carrying some 400 passengers in nine coaches, was going from Quetta to Peshawar when militants derailed it using explosives and hijacked it near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri in a tunnel 160 kilometres from Quetta.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday when they said they killed six soldiers. However, there has been no confirmation from the Pakistani authorities on casualties of passengers or security personnel.
According to defence sources, the operation of the security forces against the terrorists has entered its final stages. A large number of hostage passengers, including women and children, who were being used as human shields, have been rescued.
The security forces had earlier rescued 190 passengers during an operation.
Citing security sources, state-run Radio Pakistan confirmed that all terrorists present at the scene have been killed in the military operation.
The number of the passengers, who were killed at the beginning of the attack, was being determined, it added.
During the clearance operation, extreme caution and skill were demonstrated to save innocent lives, it said.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told the Geo News that 70-80 militants were involved in the attack on the train. He also warned against the fake news, saying that no mobile internet network was working in the area and all video clips being circulated on the media in Pakistan and elsewhere were fake.
He said that the passengers included civilians, government employees and security personnel.
Earlier in the day, officials said that some of the militants wearing vests loaded with explosives had formed groups of women and children and forced them to sit near them. Due to the presence of women and children with the suicide bombers, the operation was being conducted with utmost caution, they added.
A security source earlier said that around 30 people who sustained injuries had been sent to hospitals. He said two drivers in the main engine and eight security personnel were killed during the operation.
There was a huge explosion and firing, a scene that can never be forgotten, said Mushtaq Muhammad as he recounted the moment when militants attacked the train. Mushtaq was among the passengers rescued from the train, according to BBC Urdu service.
Ishaq Noor, who was travelling with his wife and two children, in coach number seven of the same train, said the explosion was so intense that the windows and doors of the train shook and one of my children, who was sitting near me, fell.
Seeing the firing and bullets hitting the coaches, Ishaq pulled one of his children under him while his wife pulled the other child under her so that “if a bullet hits us, the children will be saved.” “The firing must have lasted for about fifty minutes… During this time, we were not even breathing, not knowing what would happen.” Mushtaq said that the firing gradually stopped and the armed men entered the coaches.
“They started checking the identity cards of some people and separated some of them. Three militants were guarding the doors of our coach. They told the people that they would not say anything to civilians, women, old people and Baloch people,” he said.
Ishaq said that in the evening, the attackers told the passengers that they were releasing Baloch, women, children and elderly passengers.
This is the first time the BLA or any insurgent group in the Balochistan province have resorted to hijacking a passenger train, although since last year, they have stepped up their attacks on security forces, installations and foreigners in different parts of the province.
The security source said some of the militants were using satellite phones to remain in touch with their handlers.
The Pakistan Railways have set up an emergency desk at the Peshawar and Quetta Railway stations as frantic relatives and friends try to get some information about their loved ones on the train.
Pakistan Railways had resumed train services to Peshawar from Quetta after a suspension of more than a month and a half.
The US Embassy in Islamabad strongly condemned the attack on the train and the hostage-taking of passengers.
“We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this horrific act. The Pakistani people deserve to live free from violence and fear,” it said.
The US will remain a steadfast partner of Pakistan in its efforts to ensure the safety and security of all its citizens, it added. “We stand in solidarity with Pakistan during this difficult time.” “We strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Balochistan on 11 March. Our deepest condolences go the people of Pakistan and families of victims. As the situation is still unfolding, we express our profound concern for the hostages and call for their immediate release,” EU Ambassador to Pakistan Riina Kionka said in a post on X.
Balochistan has witnessed an uptick in terrorist attacks over the past year.
In the past, the railway tracks in this area have been attacked by Baloch militants using rockets or remote-controlled bombs, and the BLA claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.
In October last year, Pakistan Railways announced the restoration of train services between Quetta and Peshawar after a suspension of more than a month and a half. A month later, at least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide blast ripped through a Quetta Railway Station.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups frequently carry out attacks targeting security personnel, government projects and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the oil and mineral-rich province.
