The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which took responsibility for the attack, detonated explosives on the railway track and launched rockets at the Jaffar Express on Tuesday. The tense atmosphere inside the train was shattered on Wednesday when Pakistani security forces launched an operation, eliminating all 33 separatist militants and safely rescuing hundreds of passengers.
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The intense standoff, filled with explosions and hostage threats, unfolded as Baloch militants targeted the train in Balochistan, demanding the release of prisoners.
Baloch Militants Hijack Jaffar Express Train: Deadly Standoff Ends with Military Operation
As special forces moved in, militants wearing suicide vests sat among terrified passengers. In a final planned assault, commandos eliminated the attackers. However, the ordeal left 21 passengers and four security personnel dead.
Today, we rescued many people, including women and children. The final operation was executed with utmost caution, Pakistan military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters. He added that no civilians were killed in the final stage of the operation.
The Baloch Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for the attack, blew up the railway track and fired rockets at the Jaffar Express on Tuesday. The train, carrying 440 passengers, was travelling from Quetta in Balochistan to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it was targeted.
Before the army’s announcement, the Baloch Liberation Army claimed to have killed 50 passengers on Wednesday evening. On Tuesday, it said it was holding 214 people, mostly security personnel.
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