Pakistan: One of the civilians released after being held hostage during the attack on the Jaffar Express at Bolan Pass in Balochistan has rejected the government's claims that security forces rescued them. Instead, he confirmed that the attackers themselves released them.

Contradicting the official narrative, the hostage speaking to the media, the released civilian stated that when the attackers instructed them to leave, they disembarked from the train.

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“They told us to leave the train and go wherever we want on our own. They said they have no enmity towards us,” he said.

“When they said that, we all got down. It took us four hours to reach back.”

Attack on Jaffar Express

The attack took place on Tuesday when members of the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked a passenger train in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province. During the hijacking, the train driver was injured, prompting security guards on board to retaliate, officials stated.

Government spokesman Shahid Rind confirmed that the train was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when the incident occurred. Following the driver’s injury, the train halted in a remote area, leading to the deployment of security reinforcements to Bolan.

The separatist Baloch Liberation Army, which has been engaged in a long-running insurgency in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the BLA said that gunmen bombed the railway track and took control of the train in the remote Sibi district.

Government's rescue operation

According to ARY News, citing security sources, Pakistan's security forces successfully rescued 104 hostages held by the attackers. Among the hostages rescued were 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children. Security sources reported that 16 attackers were killed and many others were injured during the operation.

Security officials claimed that the attackers suffered significant losses during the operation and were forced to scatter into smaller groups. 17 injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Additional security squads were deployed in the area to assist with the operation.

Attack details

The Jaffar Express, en route from Quetta to Peshawar, was ambushed in Balochistan’s Bolan Pass. The train's driver sustained serious injuries, and innocent civilians were caught in the attack. The attackers halted the train inside a tunnel and took the passengers, including women and children, hostage.

Balochistan's rugged and inaccessible terrain posed challenges for security forces, but they launched a clearance operation to rescue the hostages. The attackers were surrounded by security forces, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

Security sources further alleged that the attackers were in contact with their facilitators in Afghanistan and had been using women and children as human shields.

( With agency inputs)