The driver of Jaffar Express, which was hijacked by Balochistan Liberation Army militants, has described the terrifying moment when the insurgents attacked the train as survivors praised the military for their rescue.
On Tuesday, Jaffar Express travelling from Quetta to Peshawar and carrying 440 passengers was hijacked in which 21 civilians and four soldiers were killed.
Speaking after the attack, Amjad described how the militants first detonated an explosive under the train’s engine, causing the bogies to derail, the Express Train reported.
“As soon as the train stopped, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists launched an attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the freed passengers recalled how the attackers took them hostage after the blast.
“They held us at gunpoint, but the commandos risked their own lives to rescue us,” he said, adding that the military’s courage gave them strength during the ordeal.
The ordeal began on Tuesday when separatist militants 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 terrorists, while successfully rescuing more than 300 passengers.
Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the chief military spokesperson, revealed that 21 people were killed during the day-long 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 have 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.
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