Jaffar Express hijack: The train, with around 500 passengers on board in nine coaches, was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when it came under attack.
Jaffar Express hijack: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday responded for the first time to the Jaffar Express hijack incident, condemning it as a “cowardly act” and affirming that such actions would not shake the country’s “resolve for peace.”
The Jaffar Express, carrying around 500 passengers in nine coaches, was going from Quetta to Peshawar when militants belonging to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) derailed it using explosives and hijacked it near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri in a tunnel 160 kilometres from Quetta.
‘Won’t shake Pakistan’s resolve’
In his first statement following the Jaffar Express hijack, Pakistan Prime said the entire nation is saddened by the loss of innocent lives. He further said that he was briefed on the latest developments by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti.
“Spoke with Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti who briefed me on the latest developments in the heinous terrorist attack on Jaffar Express. The entire nation is deeply shocked by this dastardly act and saddened by the loss of innocent lives–such cowardly acts will not shake Pakistan’s resolve for peace,” PM Sharif said in a post on X.
“I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs. May Allah grant them the highest ranks in Jannah and bless those injured with a swift recovery. Dozens of the terrorists have been sent to hell,” he added.
All hostages rescued, 33 BLA militants killed
All passengers held hostage by Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) rebels in southwestern Pakistan have been rescued, a senior army official said on Wednesday, adding that 33 militants were killed during the high-risk military operation. The siege, which began on Tuesday afternoon, also claimed the lives of 28 soldiers, 27 of them off-duty personnel travelling on the train and one soldier killed during the rescue.
The train, Jaffar Express, was carrying around 500 passengers when it was ambushed in the remote Bolan Pass area of Balochistan province, around 160 km from Quetta. The militants used explosives to derail the train near a tunnel between Gudalar and Piru Kunri before storming the carriages. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility and released a video showing the blast and gunmen emerging from surrounding mountainous terrain.
According to military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif, the terrorists initially used passengers, including women and children, as human shields, which delayed the rescue operation. Around 100 hostages were freed on Tuesday, while the rest were rescued on Wednesday during the final clearance phase.
The operation, conducted by the Army, Air Force, Frontier Corps and Special Services Group commandos, was executed with extreme caution to prevent further civilian casualties. Snipers first neutralised suicide bombers, followed by a compartment-by-compartment sweep of the train. Officials said no passengers were harmed during the final assault.
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