New Delhi: A day after Baloch separatists hijacked a train in Bolan, Balochistan, the Pakistan Army announced the successful conclusion of military operations Wednesday. According to a statement by the Pakistan Army, all 50 assailants were killed during the operation, and over 300 hostages were rescued. Twenty one passengers were reportedly killed in the attack.
Military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that while three soldiers were killed while guarding the track, the rescue operation, dubbed “Green Bolan”, successfully freed 346 hostages without further casualties.
The hijack took place Tuesday when militants targeted the Jaffar Express, a train carrying 440 passengers, by blowing up the track in Dhadar, a remote area in the Bolan district. The attackers, members of the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), took control of the train and held passengers, including military personnel, hostage in several groups, sparking a tense stand-off with security forces.
According to a Reuters report, before the army announcement, the BLA claimed it had killed 50 passengers Wednesday evening. It had said Tuesday that it was holding 214 people, mostly security personnel.
The BLA was demanding the release of jailed militants in exchange for freeing the hostages and gave a 48-hour ultimatum in their latest statement Wednesday evening.
Earlier Wednesday, state media, citing security officials, reported that at least 190 passengers had been freed after terrorists hijacked the Jaffar Express near Balochistan’s Bolan district. The media also mentioned that the exact number of casualties was still being determined.
Chaudhry stated that personnel from the army, air force, Frontier Corps, and SSG had been involved in the operation, successfully rescuing the hostages.
“These terrorists were in communication with their supporters and masterminds in Afghanistan during the operation via satellite phone”, he said in a press conference.
“All the hostages have been safely recovered. The operation was carried out with great precision and caution, as the terrorists had been using the passengers as human shields,” he added.
When asked if the operation had concluded with the death of all the terrorists, the DG ISPR confirmed, “Yes, all the terrorists present have been eliminated, with a total of 33 killed.”
He said that the operation commanders first targeted and neutralised the suicide bombers during Wednesday’s exercise, allowing the passengers to escape to nearby areas. After that, the operation team entered the train, methodically clearing it bogey by bogey while eliminating the suicide bombers on board.
In the aftermath of the attack, Pakistan’s chief minister for Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti, confirmed the death of all insurgents involved in the assault, asserting that the army’s quick response had ended the stand-off. He also vowed to take decisive action against any future attacks from separatist groups and their foreign sponsors.
President Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement, praised the security forces for successfully completing the operation on the Jaffar Express and expressed deep sorrow for the martyrdom of 21 civilians and four FC personnel.
“The president commended the bravery of the security forces for killing 33 terrorists in a well-executed operation and acknowledged their professionalism in rescuing civilians and passengers,” the statement read.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also lauded the security forces for their successful rescue of all hostages aboard the Jaffar Express, according to a statement shared by the interior ministry on X.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)