Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan announced on Friday that the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train earlier this week was executed by “terrorists” who were in communication with “handlers in Afghanistan,” while alleging that India orchestrated the attack.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), stated during a press conference in Islamabad, “We must understand that in this terrorist incident in Balochistan, and others before, the main sponsor is our eastern neighbor [India].”
Chaudhry also criticized Indian mainstream media for relying on videos shared by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the separatist group responsible for the attack, accusing them of using AI-generated images or footage from past incidents.
During the hour-long briefing, Chaudhry, alongside Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, provided details of the military operation—dubbed Operation Green Bolan—which led to the release of hundreds of passengers after a 36-hour standoff that began on March 11.
Chaudhry reported that 354 passengers were rescued, while 26 passengers and security personnel were killed. Additionally, 33 BLA fighters were neutralized during the operation. Initially, the military had stated that 21 civilians or security personnel had died, but Chaudhry clarified that more fatalities were discovered as security officials cleared the area.
Among the 26 killed, 18 were members of the army or paramilitary forces, three were railway staff, and five were civilian passengers.
Aerial Units for Reconnaissance
Chaudhry explained that the BLA attackers intercepted the train four hours after its departure from Quetta, 32 kilometers (20 miles) from Sibbi city, just before it entered a tunnel in the Bolan Pass region, known for its rugged terrain. “The BLA terrorists stopped the train using an improvised explosive device. Before that, they raided a paramilitary checkpoint, killing three soldiers. Once the train was halted, they kept women and children inside while taking men as hostages,” he said.
As soon as the incident occurred, the military activated its response teams and began monitoring the situation from a safe distance. While specifics were not disclosed, visual evidence from the briefing indicated the use of drones for surveillance. Intelligence sources confirmed that reconnaissance teams and aerial units were deployed within an hour of the train being stopped.
Chaudhry revealed that the BLA segregated passengers based on ethnicity, a detail corroborated by survivors who spoke to Al Jazeera. “They divided people into smaller groups based on ethnicity. While many BLA fighters retreated to their mountain hideouts, a smaller group remained with the hostages, including suicide bombers,” he said.
Intelligence monitoring also indicated that the attackers were using walkie-talkies to communicate with their “handlers in Afghanistan.”
How the Operation Unfolded
On the night of March 11, more than eight hours after the hijacking, a group of women, children, and elderly passengers were released and walked to the nearest train station, 6 kilometers (4 miles) away. Intelligence at the time suggested the presence of suicide bombers among the hostages.
By the morning of March 12, military snipers eliminated several BLA fighters, allowing some hostages to escape during the chaos. The main ground operation, led by the Zarrar Company—an elite unit of the Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) specializing in counterterrorism—was then initiated.
Chaudhry noted that as the operation began, many hostages outside the train fled for safety. By midday on March 12, the Zarrar Company completed its situational assessment, identifying and eliminating potential suicide bombers near the hostages before entering the train.
“It demonstrates the professionalism and competence of our troops that there was not a single hostage casualty during the rescue operation,” Chaudhry emphasized. All BLA fighters were killed, and security officials confirmed that no insurgents were captured alive due to the operation’s precise and surgical nature.
Reactions from India and Afghanistan
Neither India nor Afghanistan issued immediate responses following the press conference. However, earlier on Friday, officials from both countries strongly rejected Pakistan’s accusations.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Shafqat Ali Khan, stated on Thursday, “India has been involved in terrorism in Pakistan. In the attack on Jaffar Express, the terrorists were in contact with their handlers and ringleaders in Afghanistan.” He added that intercepted communications confirmed links between the attackers and Afghanistan.
India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the allegations, saying, “We reject the baseless accusations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicentre of global terrorism is. Pakistan should look within itself instead of blaming others for its internal problems and failures.”
Afghanistan also denied any involvement. “Pakistan should focus on its security and resolving its internal issues instead of making irresponsible statements,” a statement from Kabul read. Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi asserted on social media that no BLA members were present in Afghanistan and denied any connection between the group and Afghan territory.
Last month, a United Nations report stated that the Afghan Taliban, in power since August 2021, provides support to the Pakistan Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP), which has carried out multiple attacks in Pakistan. The report also indicated that the BLA reportedly has ties with both the TTP and the ISIL affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP), suggesting a convergence of armed groups with intersecting agendas.
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