All militants involved in the Jaffar Express attack have been killed. All passengers were rescued safely. This was confirmed by Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR).
Security forces carried out a large-scale operation. In this decisive mission, 33 terrorists were eliminated. Speaking to a private news channel, the DG ISPR explained the incident in detail.
He said the Jaffar Express attack began on March 11 at around 1pm. Terrorists first destroyed a portion of the railway track near Bolan. After that, they stopped the train and took passengers hostage. The attackers stayed in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan.
Immediately, a full-scale operation was launched by security forces. “All 33 terrorists at the scene have been neutralized,” said the army spokesperson.
General Ahmed Sharif said army snipers successfully took out the suicide bombers among the attackers. The Jaffar Express attack was handled with great precision. No passenger was harmed during the rescue. The train was carrying 440 passengers.
Terrorists had separated the hostages into three different groups. Each group was guarded by a suicide bomber. The forces moved carefully to avoid any civilian loss.
“By last evening, we rescued about 100 passengers. Today, the remaining hostages were freed,” the DG ISPR added.
He also said the area was remote and hard to reach. The Jaffar Express attack was complex due to the terrain and the use of human shields by the militants.
The operation involved multiple forces. Pakistan Army, Air Force, Frontier Corps, and SSG commandos took part. It started right after the train was attacked.
The rescue mission was conducted in stages. Sadly, the terrorists had already killed 21 people before the army could begin the operation. During the operation, four Frontier Corps soldiers embraced martyrdom.
Earlier, Jaffar Express had left Quetta at 9:30am on March 11. As it passed through Gudalar and Piro Kunri areas, armed men opened fire on it. This led to the deadly Jaffar Express attack.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist assault. They praised the security forces for their heroic efforts.
In a joint statement, both leaders appreciated the bravery of the soldiers. They said the response of the forces showed professionalism and courage. Despite rough terrain, the forces fought back strongly and defeated the attackers.
Later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti. The CM briefed him on the developments related to the Jaffar Express attack.
The Prime Minister said the nation is saddened by the tragedy. But he also stressed that Pakistan remains committed to peace. He applauded the successful elimination of dozens of terrorists.
