Jaffar Express rescue operation concludes; 21 passengers died before clearance: DG ISPR

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed on Wednesday that security forces successfully completed the clearance operation after terrorists hijacked the Jaffar Express in Bolan district, Balochistan.

He assured that no passengers were harmed during the clearance phase, but 21 passengers were killed by terrorists before the operation began.

Speaking to a private news channel, Lt Gen Chaudhry stated that 33 terrorists were eliminated, while four Frontier Corps personnel embraced martyrdom. He reiterated that Pakistan would not allow its citizens to be targeted by extremist violence.

“No one can be permitted to make innocent people the victim of their barbarism in the streets, trains, buses, or markets because of their misleading ideology," he said, emphasizing that the Jaffar Express attack marked a turning point in counterterrorism operations.

The attackers were in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan, highlighting the cross-border links of the operation, the ISPR chief confirmed.

He added that militants used hostages, including women and children, as human shields, placing them alongside suicide bombers. Security forces successfully neutralized the bombers through sniper precision, preventing further casualties.

The Jaffar Express, carrying over 400 passengers in nine bogies, was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar when it was ambushed in Dhadar, Bolan Pass, on Tuesday.

According to security sources, armed attackers bombed the railway track before storming the train, an assault later claimed by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

The explosion on the tracks caused the train to halt, followed by gunfire that resulted in the death of the train driver and several passengers.

Authorities reported that communication challenges in the remote mountainous region delayed response efforts due to mobile network disruptions.