- विज्ञापन -
Quetta (Balochistan): Lt Gen Sharif Chaudhry, Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Pakistan, announced that the Jaffar Express clearance operation, launched after the train hijacking in Balochistan, has been completed. He confirmed that all 33 militants involved in the attack were killed.
On March 11, terrorists targeted a railroad track in Bolan at around 1 pm, detonating an explosion that halted the Jaffar Express, which was carrying 440 passengers. Speaking to Dunya News, Chaudhry stated that the military, air force, Frontier Corps (FC), and the Special Services Group (SSG) worked together to recover the hostages. He reassured that no passengers were harmed during the final clearance operation, though earlier in the attack, 21 passengers were killed by the terrorists.
Chaudhry revealed that the terrorists maintained communication with their supporters and masterminds in Afghanistan using satellite phones throughout the operation. He added that around 100 passengers were rescued the evening before, and additional passengers were freed the following day, with the operation continuing intermittently.
In a previous statement, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for executing 50 additional captives on board the Jaffar Express.
Earlier reports from PTV, citing security officials, indicated that at least 190 passengers had been freed following the hijacking. The hostage crisis began on Tuesday near the Mashkaf Tunnel, located about 157 kilometers from Quetta, when BLA militants attacked the train and took over 400 passengers, including several security personnel. While the exact death toll remains unconfirmed, officials told Dawn News that at least 30 individuals, including the train’s driver and eight security personnel, lost their lives during a gunfight between the attackers and security forces.
