Image Source FMT
On Friday, Pakistan asserted that the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train earlier this week was executed by “terrorists” who were in contact with “handlers in Afghanistan,” while also accusing India of orchestrating the incident.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the head of the military’s media division, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), stated at a news conference in Islamabad that it is essential to recognize that the primary backer of the recent terrorist incident in Balochistan, as well as previous occurrences, is our eastern neighbor, India.
Chaudhry also highlighted the media coverage from Indian mainstream channels, which relied on videos disseminated by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the separatist group behind the attack. He accused these channels of utilizing images that were either generated by artificial intelligence or sourced from previous incidents.
During a briefing that extended beyond an hour, Chaudhry, alongside Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, provided insights into the military operation—dubbed Operation Green Bolan—that resulted in the rescue of hundreds of passengers from a train after a 36-hour standoff that began on March 11.
Chaudhry reported that a total of 354 passengers were saved, while 26 individuals, including security personnel, lost their lives. Additionally, 33 BLA fighters were killed during the operation.
While the military had previously stated that 21 civilians or security personnel had died, Chaudhry clarified that as security forces secured the area, more injured individuals were discovered, some of whom later succumbed to their injuries.
Among the 26 fatalities, 18 were members of the army or paramilitary forces, three were railway staff, and five were civilian passengers.
Regarding reconnaissance efforts, Chaudhry noted that four hours after the train left Quetta, BLA attackers intercepted it 32 kilometers (20 miles) from Sibbi city, just before it entered a tunnel in the Bolan Pass, an area characterized by its rugged mountainous terrain.
“The BLA terrorists halted the train using an improvised explosive device. Prior to this, they launched their assault in significant numbers, encountering a paramilitary checkpoint where they killed three soldiers. Once the train was stopped, they retained the women and children inside while taking the men outside as hostages,” he explained.
“Immediately following the incident, we mobilized our response teams and began monitoring the situation from a safe distance,” Chaudhry added
