The Jaffar Express, carrying around 450 passengers, was enroute from Quetta to Peshawar when it was ambushed on Tuesday. Armed militantsfrom the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) detonated explosives on thetracks, forcing the train to stop before opening fire. The train remainedstranded inside a tunnel near Sibbi for several hours, leaving passengerstrapped under dire conditions.
Major General Ahmed Sharif, a senior security official,described the rescue mission as “one of the most challenging operations inrecent years,” emphasizing the difficulties faced by forces navigatingtreacherous terrain while ensuring minimal harm to hostages.
Brigadier Muhammad Iqbal, a senior security source,denounced the insurgents, stating, “We are dealing with a ruthless enemy that isusing innocent civilians as human shields.”
Passengers who endured the ordeal described the terror theyfaced as gunmen seized control of the train. “They ordered us not to look backas they led families away,” recalled Ghulam Nabi, one of the freed hostages.“We hid under the seats and prayed for our lives.”
The BLA, a separatist group opposed to Pakistani controlover Balochistan’s natural resources and Chinese investments in the region, hassignificantly intensified its attacks in recent months.
BLA militants have launched multiple deadly operations thisyear. In March, a female suicide bomber targeted a military convoy in Kalat,killing a security officer and injuring four others. In February, insurgentsambushed a paramilitary bus in the same district, killing 18 personnel. Dayslater, a roadside explosion killed 11 coal miners, while another attack strucka military convoy guarding a Chinese-operated mining project.
Islamabad has accused militant groups based in Afghanistanof orchestrating many recent attacks, including the latest assault. ThePakistani government has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban to take actionagainst anti-Pakistan fighters operating from its territory. However, Kabul hasdenied harbouring such groups, deepening tensions between the two neighbouringcountries.
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