Jafar Express Attack
All 33 terrorists killed, hostages rescued, says ISPR DG
Staff Report
RAWALPINDI: In a decisive operation, all 33 terrorists who attacked the Jafar Express in Bolan have been eliminated by security forces, including the Pakistan Army, Air Force, Frontier Corps (FC), and SSG commandos, according to DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
The violent siege, which began when terrorists bombed the railway track and stormed the train, resulted in the martyrdom of 21 passengers and four FC personnel. More than 400 passengers were onboard at the time of the attack.
Security forces launched a full-scale operation to rescue hostages held by the militants. So far, 190 passengers have been safely evacuated, while some terrorists attempted to flee into the mountainous terrain with an unknown number of captives.
The rescue mission was carried out in phases, ensuring the safety of women and children who were reportedly placed near suicide bombers by the terrorists.
“Due to the presence of women and children with suicide bombers, extreme caution is being exercised,” the DG ISPR said.
According to security sources, the militants were in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan, further complicating the operation.
Eyewitnesses described the brutality of the attackers, saying they sorted through passengers’ ID cards, specifically targeting Punjabis and security personnel. One survivor recounted how two soldiers were shot in front of him, while others were abducted and taken to an unknown location.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack. They have conducted similar assaults in the past and reportedly demanded an exchange of their imprisoned members with security forces.
In response to the crisis, Pakistan Railways has set up a help desk at Rawalpindi Railway Station to provide information to the families of the victims. Additional emergency contacts have been established at Quetta Railway Station Inquiry Office for passenger assistance.
Due to security concerns, train operations from Quetta have been temporarily suspended and will resume only after clearance from authorities.
This deadliest attack in recent years marks a turning point in Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, with DG ISPR emphasizing that after this incident, “the rules of the game have changed.”
Hours earlier, security forces launched a “full-scale” operation on Wednesday to rescue train passengers taken hostage by terrorists in Balochistan’s Bolan city.
More than 450 passengers were on board when militants captured the train at the entrance of a tunnel in a remote frontier district, with an unknown number of hostages mostly Punjabis still being held.
“Information suggests that some militants have fled, taking an unknown number of hostages into the local mountainous areas,” a security official in the area told AFP.
Militants bombed a section of the railway track and stormed the train on Tuesday afternoon.
According to security sources, the “terrorists have positioned suicide bombers right next to innocent hostage passengers”.
Three people have been killed, including the train driver, during the siege in mountainous Sibi district.
A security official told AFP “a full-scale operation” would aim to free the rest of the captives. “Security forces have safely rescued 190 passengers… 30 terrorists have been eliminated,” a security source said. An earlier count included at least “31 women and 15 children”. It was not immediately clear how many people remained onboard.
Security officials have also said that the militants were in contact with their facilitators in Afghanistan.
Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway government official in Quetta, told AFP on Tuesday afternoon that the 450 passengers on board had been taken hostage.
Passengers freed on Tuesday described walking for hours through mountainous terrain to reach safety.
“I can’t find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying,” Muhammad Bilal, who had been travelling with his mother on the Jafar Express train, told AFP.
The driver of the train, a police officer and a soldier were killed in the assault, according to paramedic NazimFarooq and railway official Muhammad Aslam.
One passenger described gunmen sorting through identity cards to confirm who was from outside the province, similar to a spate of recent attacks carried out by the BLA.
“They came and checked IDs and service cards and shot two soldiers in front of me and took the other four to… I don’t know where,” said one passenger who asked not to be identified, after walking four hours to the nearest train station. “Those who were Punjabis were taken away by the terrorists,” he said.
