Speaking to a private news channel, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed the completion of the complex operation, elaborating that units from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Special Services Group (SSG), army and Frontier Corps (FC) took part.

Dozens of militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), blew up a railway track and assaulted the Jaffar Express on Tuesday, carrying more than 400 passengers, authorities said.

“All 33 terrorists have been sent to hell…no harm was caused to any passenger during the clearance operation,” the DG ISPR said.

However, he added, before the clearance operation was initiated, 21 passengers were martyred by the terrorists.

Divulging details of the incident, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the terrorists targeted a railway track in Bolan on March 11, stopped the Jaffar Express and took passengers hostage. “The militants used hostages, including women and children, as human shields,” he added.

Furthermore, he said that the attackers had placed the hostages in groups with suicide bombers sitting amongst them. “The suicide bombers were taken out by security forces snipers,” he added.

“The terrorists remained in contact with their facilitators and mastermind based in Afghanistan via satellite phone during the clearance operation,” he revealed.

“Around 100 passengers were safely rescued yesterday evening from the terrorists, and today as well, a large number of passengers have been recovered,” he added.

He noted that all terrorists present on the site of the incident were killed, however, the clearance of train and area were being carried out by bomb disposal squad as per the standard operating procedure.

Besides this, Lt Gen Chaudhry said held hostages who fled to nearby areas during clearance operation were being gathered as well.

Elaborating on the final clearance operation that was conducted earlier today, the ISPR chief said the armed forces cleared the all boogies one by one and “sent 33 terrorists to hell”.

“No one can be permitted to make innocent people of Pakistan the victim of their barbarism in the streets, trains, buses or markets because of their misleading ideology,” he added,

“Whoever does this, let me say it very clearly, will be hunted down and brought to justice. Let me also say that this incident of Jaffer Express changes the rules of the game.”

The military spokesperson noted that the incident of Jaffer Express has changed the rules of the game. “Whoever did this will be hunted down and brought to justice,” he added. He added the terrorists had nothing to do with Islam, Pakistan and Balochistan.

Rescue operation

Earlier, seucirty sources said that at least 190 passengers have been freed after terrorists hijacked the Jaffar Express near Balochistan’s Bolan district.

According to security sources, forces have rescued a large number of hostages, including women and children. The rescued civilians were being used as human shields by the terrorists.

During the operation, the security forces practiced utmost caution because of the innocent lives involved. Meanwhile, 37 injured individuals have been evacuated for medical treatment, security sources confirmed.

The railway journey from Quetta to Peshawar includes various stops as it passes through at least 11 cities including Sibi, Jacobabad, Rohri, Khanpur, Bahawalpur, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Lahore, Gujranwala and Islamabad.

The attackers bombed the railway track before storming the train and opened fire on the locomotive, injuring the driver. The train, stopped just before a tunnel, was hijacked in a remote, mountainous region near the Afghanistan-Iran border.

After security forces launched the operation on Tuesday, the militants split into small groups, security sources said.

Navigating the difficult terrain, security forces cordoned off the area upon receiving word of the attack, they said, adding that despite the challenging route, forces reached the scene in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district of Balochistan to initiate the operation.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a post on X that he had spoken to the Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti and been briefed on the operation.

“The entire nation is deeply shocked by this dastardly act and saddened by the loss of innocent lives — such cowardly acts will not shake Pakistan’s resolve for peace,” the PM wrote.

“I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs … and [may God] and bless those injured with a swift recovery. Dozens of the terrorists have been sent to hell,” he added.

Emergency measures

The Balochistan government has imposed emergency measures, and all institutions have been mobilised to deal with the situation, spokesperson Shahid Rind said.

A relief train and contingents of security forces were also dispatched to the site. 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 summoned to Civil Hospital and several wards were vacated to deal with the situation.

Following the incident, an emergency information desk has been established at Quetta Railway Station. A railway official was appointed to share relevant developments regarding the Jaffar Express incident.

‘It was terrifying’

One of the freed passengers thanked the forces for safely evacuating him from the hijacked train and acknowledged the efforts of the army and FC personnel in the security operation.

“There was gunfire, but by the grace of Allah, the army and FC personnel brought us to safety,” said one of the rescued passengers.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Bilal, who had been travelling with his mother on the Jafar Express train, told AFP: “I can’t find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying.”

Meanwhile, railway officials said that the Bolan Mail and Jaffar Express, operating from Quetta to other parts of the country, have been suspended for three days.

Additionally, the passenger train from Quetta to Chaman has also not yet departed, railway officials stated.

Felicitations

Following the conclusion of clearance operation, President Asif Ali Zardari appreciated the security forces for completing an operation against terrorists and releasing passengers of Jaffar Express who were taken as hostages.

The president expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of 21 civilians and 4 FC personnel. He praised the security forces for their effective response and killling 33 terrorists.

He paid tribute to four FC soldiers who embraced martyrdom and commended the professionalism of the security forces displayed during the operation.

The president prayed for the high ranks of the departed souls and for the bereaved families to bear the losses with fortitude. He also expressed the resolve to securing peace and complete elimination of terrorism in Balochistan province.