104 passengers rescued from hijacked Jaffar Express, 16 terrorists killed

Sixteen militants were killed and 104 passengers were rescued in an operation by security forces after militants hijacked the Jaffar Express carrying passengers in Pakistan's Bolan district of Balochistan, media reports said on Wednesday. For more international updates, visit Vaartha International.

104 passengers were rescued safely

The train, carrying over 400 passengers in nine bogies, was heading from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it was attacked, Geo News reported quoting security sources. A railway official said 57 passengers of the Jaffar Express were airlifted to Quetta on Wednesday morning, while 23 others remained in Machh. According to media reports, around 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children were rescued from the hostage situation, and security forces were working towards rescuing other hostages.

In touch with his mastermind sitting in Afghanistan

Security sources said that after the operation of security forces, the terrorists split into small groups. They said that 17 injured passengers were rushed to a nearby hospital for immediate treatment. Sources said that the attackers are in touch with their international masters through satellite phones. When the security forces got information about the attack, they reached the area with great difficulty due to the difficult terrain and cordoned off the area. Security sources had earlier said that the terrorists behind the attack are in touch with their masterminds sitting in Afghanistan and are using women and children as human shields.

The attackers detonated a bomb on the railway track before boarding the train

The operation was being carried out with utmost caution due to the presence of civilians on the Jaffar Express. Security sources said the difficult terrain made the operation even more complicated. Security forces said the attackers detonated a bomb on the railway track before boarding the train. They also fired at the engine, injuring the driver, the security sources said. The engine was stopped just before a tunnel, and the militants took control of the train in a remote mountainous area of the province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, the reports said. Security sources said despite the challenging route, the army reached the spot to launch the operation in Mushkaf area of Balochistan's Bolan district.

Balochistan government imposed emergency measures

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said that the Balochistan government has imposed emergency measures and all institutions have been asked to be prepared to deal with the situation. Relief trains and contingents of security forces were also rushed to the spot, the report said. Meanwhile, an emergency has been imposed in Sibi and Civil Hospital Quetta.
According to the provincial health department, all medical and paramedical staff have been called to the civil hospital, and several wards have been vacated to deal with the situation, the report further said. An emergency information desk has been set up at the Quetta railway station following the incident. A railway official has been deputed to share relevant developments regarding the Jaffar Express incident. For more updates, check out the Vaartha E-paper.