Following the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train, the Pakistani military had claimed that all 33 Baloch rebels were killed, and the hostages were rescued. However, the BLA themselves have disputed this, accusing the army of covering up its failure.
The hijacking happened on Tuesday when rebels from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ambushed the train, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. The train had 440 passengers on board. The rebels reportedly opened fire on the train and took the passengers hostage, which also led to a two-day rescue operation by the Pakistan army.
The BLA argued that the battle is ongoing and that the army failed to save the hostages. BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch also criticised the army for abandoning its soldiers and leaving them as hostages.
The BLA has also challenged Pakistani authorities to allow independent observers into the conflict zone, suggesting the army’s reluctance to do so shows their defeat.
Passengers who were released were reported to say that the BLA had freed women, children, and the elderly shortly after taking over the train.
Shehbaz Sharif calls for unity
Following the hijacking incident, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has urged his countrymen to unite against terrorism, as per Dawn News. Sharif added that it is important for political and military leaders in Pakistan to come together and discuss the country’s security challenges.
In a political move, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also suggested that the ruling PMLN government was ready to invite the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to an all-parties conference on terrorism.
(With ANI Inputs)