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Baloch rebels said that international media should probe the incident instead of blindly following the narrative peddled by the Pakistani state.
The BLA in its statement questioned the Pakistan Army over the casualties and asked them why have not they made public the names of those soldiers killed in the standoff. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE)
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in a statement issued Thursday said that the operation in Balochistan’s Bolan is far from over and its battle with the Pakistani army continues.
The BLA’s statement said that the Pakistani Army is hiding the real number of casualties in a bid to not hurt the morale of the forces and urged international media to probe instead of reporting the narrative peddled by the Pakistani state and media.
“Pakistan ISPR’s claim of ending the operation at Bolan of Balochistan is a lie and the battle continues. Pakistan Army has not yet publicly shared names and photographs of 100+ Pakistani soldiers killed. No names or photos of 33 Baloch fighters released (either),” the BLA statement said.
The bodies of at least 25 people, including 21 hostages, were retrieved from the train hijack site.
The Pakistani army claims that it freed more than 340 train passengers in a two-day rescue operation that ended late on Wednesday. It also said that 28 soldiers died, including 27 off-duty soldiers.
Passengers who managed to flee the siege said they trekked for hours across rugged mountains to find safety and witnessed militants shooting people dead.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was also expected to visit Balochistan, his office said.
“The Prime Minister expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of security personnel and train passengers during the operation,” it said in a statement.
Baloch rebels claim they have killed over 100 Pakistani soldiers.
The BLA released a video of an explosion on the track followed by dozens of militants emerging from hiding places in the mountains to attack the train.
They bombed a remote railway track in mountainous southwest region of Pakistan and stormed the train when there were at least 450 passengers on board.
- Location :
Islamabad, Pakistan
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