Pakistan’s military rescued hundreds of hostages from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which hijacked a train in Balochistan earlier this week and killed dozens.
The BLA ambushed the Jaffer Express on Tuesday as it traveled from Quetta to Peshawar. They blew up parts of the track, forcing the train to stop, then opened fire. Pakistan’s military subsequently launched an operation to confront the attackers, who reportedly used “women and children” as human shields.
The group reportedly detonated an explosive device (IED) near the railway and appeared to be armed with possible AKM rifles. Pakistan’s military claimed the militants used Afghan and foreign weapons during the hijacking.
#BREAKING: First video of Jaffar Express Train hijacking released by Baloch Liberation Army in Bolan of Balochistan. 214 Pakistani soldiers have been abducted. Over 40 Pakistani Army soldiers killed till now. pic.twitter.com/Hte6Xm3hpK
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) March 12, 2025
A Pakistani military official confirmed on Thursday that the military operation had concluded after 30 hours.
The exact number of casualties remained unclear as of press time. The BLA initially claimed to have executed all 214 hostages, reportedly Pakistani Army soldiers. However, Pakistani authorities reported that 33 BLA militants, 21 civilian hostages, and four military personnel were killed. Some news outlets provide differing accounts, stating that the BLA killed 27 hostages and one soldier, while at least 35 militants died during the rescue operation.
The number of individuals rescued also varies in reports. Authorities stated that 300 passengers have been rescued, while some reports claim the number is nearly 350.
According to a BBC report, information about the attack and the subsequent rescue operation has been “tightly controlled” but passengers interviewed described scenes of chaos to the media.
One woman who was rescued likened the recent incident to the “day of judgement” and told CNN she fled gunfire and walked for two hours to reach safety.
Arslan Yousaf, a survivor, also recounted the harrowing moment: “As soon as the explosion happened, armed men stormed the train. They had launchers, guns, and other weapons, and they immediately started firing – shooting directly at people,” he told Reuters.
The BLA is a separatist militant group designated as a terrorist organization by both Pakistan and the United States.
The group is said to frequently target security forces and Chinese workers on Belt and Road Initiative projects and is responsible for several high profile attacks in recent months, including a bus ambush in February that killed seven Punjabi travelers and a bombing at Quetta’s main railway station last November that resulted in 26 deaths, including 14 soldiers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the recent BLA attack, saying that targeting innocent civilians during the holy month of Ramadan demonstrated the militants’ lack of connection to Islam or Pakistan.
