Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants unleashed terror on a passenger train carrying 440 people in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, killing 21 hostages before security forces eliminated all 33 attackers in a fierce battle. Survivors of the attack have recounted horrifying moments of fear, uncertainty, and a desperate struggle for survival as militants sorted passengers, executed soldiers, and spared women and elders before opening fire on the rest.
The Jaffer Express, en route from Quetta to Peshawar, came under siege inside a tunnel when militants blew up the tracks, forcing the train to a screeching halt. Armed insurgents stormed the coaches, scanning identity cards and pulling passengers outside. “They told us to come out and not look back. As we ran, I saw others running alongside us,” said Babar Masih, a Christian laborer, recalling how his family walked for hours through rugged terrain to find safety.
Muhammad Naveed, one of the rescued passengers, described the horrifying moment when the militants separated women and elderly passengers before randomly selecting hostages for execution. “They told us we wouldn’t be harmed, but once we were out, they picked people and shot them down,” he said, his voice shaking as he recalled the trauma.
Noman Ahmed, a steelworker traveling home for Eid, recalled the moment the blast shook the train. “We dropped to the floor and locked the door, hoping to escape the gunfire,” he said. But minutes later, a militant arrived, dragging men outside to an open hillside where some were shot. “They ordered them to come out. When they didn’t, the gunmen went in and shot them all,” he added, his voice heavy with grief.
The Pakistan military, which launched a full-scale operation against the militants, confirmed that all passengers had been rescued safely except for the 21 executed hostages. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar hailed the operation as a success, stating, “A potential catastrophe was averted.”
However, the brutal attack has sent shockwaves across Pakistan, raising questions about Balochistan’s long-standing insurgency and the increasing audacity of separatist militants targeting civilians. Security analysts warn that such indiscriminate killings could turn the local population against the BLA. “By shifting targets from military personnel to unarmed civilians, BLA risks alienating its own support base,” said Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based security analyst.
The BLA had earlier threatened to kill hostages if the government did not negotiate, but their demands were ignored. The train attack is part of a long-running separatist insurgency in Balochistan, where ethnic Balochs accuse Islamabad of exploiting their mineral-rich region without providing fair representation or resources.