Pakistan: Deadly End to Train Hijacking – 33 Armed Militants, 21 Hostages, and 4 Soldiers Dead

A deadly operation concluded the hostage situation involving hundreds of passengers on a train in Pakistan after intervention by special forces. In total, 58 people lost their lives. Pakistani security forces stormed the hijacked train seized by separatist militants, killing all 33 attackers. The Baloch separatists had derailed the railway line and fired rockets at the ‘Jaffer Express’ traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Among those aboard were 440 people. According to the army, 21 hostages and four security personnel were killed during the clash with the militants. The military spokesperson, Ahmed Sarif Tauqiri, confirmed that many civilians, including women and children, were successfully rescued without further casualties among passengers in the final phase. Prior to the army’s announcement, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which claimed responsibility for the attack, stated they had killed 50 passengers and held 214 people, mostly security personnel. The BLA threatened to execute hostages unless authorities released detained Baloch political prisoners within 48 hours. The BLA is the largest of several armed groups fighting against the Balochistan government, bordering Afghanistan and Iran. They have intensified their attacks recently, targeting mainly the Pakistani army. Earlier, Interior Minister Talal Tauqiri mentioned some militants wore suicide belts complicating rescue efforts. Hundreds of soldiers and special forces were deployed alongside military aviation to handle the crisis. During the final stage, special forces neutralized suicide bombers before troops moved through each carriage eliminating remaining insurgents. Although over 190 hostages were freed and more than 50 sent back to Quetta, details about survivors remain unclear.