The Baloch Liberation Army has released a video detailing its March hijacking of the Jaffar Express, claiming the execution of 214 Pakistani military hostages and reigniting calls for Balochistan’s independence.
Two months after the dramatic hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has released a 35-minute video detailing the operation, codenamed “Darra-e-Bolan 2.0.” The footage offers a rare glimpse into the separatist group’s tactics and claims, contradicting Pakistan’s official version of events.
The Jaffar Express, carrying 450 passengers from Quetta to Peshawar, was hijacked on March 11 after BLA fighters blew up railway tracks in the rugged Bolan region. The operation, executed by the BLA’s Majeed Brigade and other tactical units, lasted nearly 48 hours. The group claims it captured 214 Pakistani military personnel and held them hostage, while safely evacuating civilians—including women, children, and the elderly.
The video, released by BLA’s media wing Hakkal, shows fighters undergoing combat training, planting explosives, and storming the train. It includes statements from insurgents justifying the attack as a response to decades of repression and enforced disappearances in Balochistan. The footage also features farewell messages from so-called “martyrs” of the operation, who vowed to continue fighting “until final victory.”
“Our youth have chosen sacrifice to make the world hear the sound of Baloch resistance,” a fighter says in the video. The group accuses Pakistan of military occupation and asserts that its actions adhere to the principles of international warfare.
Pakistan, however, offers a starkly different account. In a counter-operation dubbed “Operation Green Bolan,” officials claim 33 BLA fighters were killed, 18 soldiers died, and 354 hostages were rescued. Pakistan Railways suspended services to and from Balochistan during the crisis, and security was ramped up nationwide.
In the wake of the hijacking, Baloch leaders issued a declaration of independence, calling for global recognition of the “Democratic Republic of Balochistan.” The move sparked protests across the region, with families rallying to support the separatist cause.
Islamabad has dismissed the BLA’s claims as propaganda, labeling the group a terrorist organization. Despite international condemnation of the attack, Baloch nationalists continue to argue that their struggle is rooted in a legitimate demand for self-determination.
