QUETTA: More than 100 terrorists attacked the Jaffar Express on Tuesday afternoon and have taken more than 250 passengers hostage, according to the latest update provided by the eyewitnesses.
Jaffar Express, transporting more than 400 passengers from Quetta to Peshawar, was attacked by a group of terrorists. Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has accepted the responsibility for the attack. More than 17 hours after the attack, the security operation is still underway.
Military officials confirmed that 155 passengers have been rescued and 27 terrorists have been killed, but no verified information is available about the remaining individuals.
PASSENGERS ORDEAL
Passengers who arrived at Machh station recounted the terrifying ordeal. Mushtaq Muhammad, who was in Coach No. 3, talking to BBC Urdu described the attack as starting with a massive explosion, followed by intense gunfire for an hour.
Gunmen entered the coaches after the firing stopped. They checked identity cards and separated certain passengers. Three militants stood guard at each door. They announced that civilians, women, elderly, and Baloch passengers would not be harmed.
Mushtaq said the militants spoke in Balochi, and their leader repeatedly instructed them to focus on security personnel.
Ishaq Noor, traveling with his wife and two children in Coach No. 7, said the blast shook the train. “My child fell off the seat due to the impact,” he said.
Ishaq Noor estimated that at least 11 passengers were taken from his coach, identified as security officials. One man resisted and was beaten before being dragged out, followed by gunshots.
As night fell, the attackers released some passengers, including women, children, and Baloch individuals. Noor was spared after telling them he was from Turbat, according to the latest update on the Jaffar Express attack.
Muhammad Ashraf, travelling to Lahore was among those released. It was estimated that the militants took around 200 to 250 passengers with them, while the number of attackers was approximately 100 to 125.
“There was extreme fear. It felt like doomsday,” he said. According to Ashraf, the militants took around 200-250 passengers with them.
Similarly, Bashir, traveling to Bahawalpur with his wife and children, said the armed men told them to disembark but did not stop them. “They instructed us not to look back. We then made our way through difficult terrain to reach Paneer Railway Station.”
Jaffar Express: terrorists using passengers as human shield