Jaffar Express, carrying 440 passengers from Quetta to Peshawar, is reported to have been hijacked as bogies were derailed after militants detonated an explosive under the train’s engine.
The driver of Jaffar Express, which was hijacked by Balochistan Liberation Army militants, has shared his personal experience, describing the terrifying moment when the insurgents attacked the train. Amjad, the driver of the Jaffar Express, which was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar and carrying 440 passengers, said bogies got derailed after militants detonated an explosive under the train’s engine, adding, “As soon as the train stopped, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched an attack.” The incident caused the death of 21 civilians and four soldiers.
Meanwhile, one of the freed passengers recalled how the attackers took them hostage after the blast. He said that the militants held them at gunpoint after they ambushed the Jaffar Express, blowing up the railway track and attacking the train with rockets.
Security forces stormed the hijacked Jaffar Express on Wednesday, bringing a dramatic end to a 30-hour siege in the rugged Bolan area of Balochistan, killing all 33 militants while rescuing more than 300 passengers.
Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the chief military spokesperson, revealed that 21 people were killed during the daylong standoff.
However, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general firmly said that no civilians were harmed in the final rescue operation carried out by the armed forces.
According to the DG ISPR, the attack occurred in a remote and difficult-to-access area. He stated that the rescue operation was launched immediately, with the Army, Air Force, and Frontier Corps (FC) taking part.
This is the first time the BLA or any insurgent group in the Balochistan province has resorted to hijacking a passenger train, although since last year, they have stepped up their attacks on security forces, installations, and foreigners in different parts of the province.
(With inputs from AP)
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