DG ISPR says all 33 terrorists killed; four FC personnel martyred during operation
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Security forces have eliminated all militants and rescued190 hostages in a clearance operation launched after an unknown number of heavily armed terrorists stormed a Peshawar-bound train in Balochistan’s Bolan district.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed on Wednesday that no passengers were harmed during the clearance operation conducted by security forces after terrorists hijacked the Jaffer Express in Balochistan’s Bolan district.
“All 33 terrorists have been sent to hell….four frontier corps personnel embraced martyrdom during the clearance operation,” the DG ISPR said while speaking to a private news channel.
According to security sources, the forces successfully rescued a large number of hostages, including women and children, who had been used as human shields by the terrorists.
The clearance operation was carried out with extreme caution and skill, resulting in the saving of many innocent lives, security sources stated. It was also revealed that the number of passengers who had fallen victim to the terrorists’ brutality is being determined.
Jaffar Express, with over 400 passengers on board in nine bogies, was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar when it came under attack in the Dhadar area of Bolan Pass on Tuesday, according to security sources.
Following the attack, the security forces launched an immediate clearance operation, leading to the deaths of all terrorists, security sources reported. Security officials added that further details regarding the operation will be shared soon.
Security sources also confirmed that the terrorists responsible for the cowardly attack on the Jaffar Express were in contact with their mastermind in Afghanistan.
It all started after armed gunmen forced the train to a halt in a remote, mountainous area of the province on Tuesday afternoon, with the assault immediately claimed by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a terrorist group behind rising violence in the province.
The attackers bombed the railway track before storming aboard the train, said the security forces.
Sources indicated that the railway tracks had been destroyed with explosives, causing the train to stop, after which firing began, resulting in the death of the driver and several passengers.
Railway authorities stated that mobile networks were not working in the area where the train was located, causing difficulties in communication.
Following the Jaffer Express incident, a help desk has been set up for passenger inquiries, and trains from Peshawar and Quetta have been stopped at the Sibi station.
Meanwhile, train services from Quetta to other regions of the country have been halted following a terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express.
According to railway authorities, no trains will operate from Quetta today until further notice due to security concerns.
After the terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express, Indian and anti-national social media platforms have been unusually active, spreading misleading information and false propaganda.
According to sources, propaganda and fake news are being spread through old videos, AI-generated videos, outdated images, fake WhatsApp messages, and posters in an attempt to incite hysteria.
Sources indicate that a malicious social media campaign is attempting to create panic among the public. Social media accounts linked to terrorists are also working with Indian media to spread anti-Pakistan rhetoric.
Security sources stated that Indian media is misleading the public by broadcasting analyses from self-exiled Baloch leaders sitting outside Pakistan. People are being misled, and the public is advised to rely on credible sources of information rather than the misleading and fabricated propaganda spread on social media.
President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shhebaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the Jaffer Express, stating that attacks on innocent passengers are inhumane and reprehensible.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, stating, “The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions.” He also expressed his hope for the speedy recovery of those injured in the attack.
