Pakistani army concludes train standoff, reporting 21 hostages and 4 soldiers dead
Pakistani security forces launched an operation on Wednesday to reclaim a train that had been taken over by separatist militants, resulting in the deaths of all 33 assailants and bringing an end to a standoff that lasted for a day and involved hundreds of hostages, according to the military.
TroibNews 
Pakistani security forces launched an operation on Wednesday to regain control of a train that had been hijacked by separatist militants, resulting in the deaths of all 33 attackers and concluding a day-long standoff that involved hundreds of hostages, according to military sources.
On Tuesday, Baloch separatist militants targeted the Jaffar Express, which was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, by blowing up the railway track and firing rockets, while the train was carrying 440 passengers.
During the standoff, the military confirmed that 21 hostages and four security personnel lost their lives.
"Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children. The final operation was carried out with great care," military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated, ensuring that no civilians were harmed during the final phase of the operation.
Prior to the military announcement, the Baloch Liberation Army, the group that claimed responsibility for the attack, asserted that it had executed 50 passengers on Wednesday evening. They had previously stated that they were holding 214 individuals, primarily security personnel.
The BLA also issued threats, indicating that they would begin executing hostages if their demands for the release of Baloch political prisoners and missing people—allegedly abducted by the military—were not met within a 48-hour timeframe.
The Baloch Liberation Army is the largest among various ethnic armed groups engaged in conflict with the government in Balochistan, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
In recent months, the militants have increased their activities, employing new strategies aimed at causing higher casualties and directly targeting Pakistan's military forces.
Baloch militant groups contend that they are fighting for a fairer distribution of the region's wealth in natural resources, which they claim has been unfairly withheld by the central government.
In response to the incident, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed strong condemnation and conveyed their deep sorrow over the loss of both civilian lives and those of security personnel, according to statements released by the two leaders.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
On Tuesday, Baloch separatist militants targeted the Jaffar Express, which was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, by blowing up the railway track and firing rockets, while the train was carrying 440 passengers.
During the standoff, the military confirmed that 21 hostages and four security personnel lost their lives.
"Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children. The final operation was carried out with great care," military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated, ensuring that no civilians were harmed during the final phase of the operation.
Prior to the military announcement, the Baloch Liberation Army, the group that claimed responsibility for the attack, asserted that it had executed 50 passengers on Wednesday evening. They had previously stated that they were holding 214 individuals, primarily security personnel.
The BLA also issued threats, indicating that they would begin executing hostages if their demands for the release of Baloch political prisoners and missing people—allegedly abducted by the military—were not met within a 48-hour timeframe.
The Baloch Liberation Army is the largest among various ethnic armed groups engaged in conflict with the government in Balochistan, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
In recent months, the militants have increased their activities, employing new strategies aimed at causing higher casualties and directly targeting Pakistan's military forces.
Baloch militant groups contend that they are fighting for a fairer distribution of the region's wealth in natural resources, which they claim has been unfairly withheld by the central government.
In response to the incident, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed strong condemnation and conveyed their deep sorrow over the loss of both civilian lives and those of security personnel, according to statements released by the two leaders.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
