Islamabad, March 13, 2025: Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has accused India of orchestrating the deadly attack on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan, which left several dead and triggered a large-scale security operation.
During his weekly briefing, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan confirmed the successful completion of the rescue mission. He stated that intelligence reports indicated the attackers were in contact with associates in Afghanistan during the assault.
The ordeal began on Tuesday when separatist militants ambushed the Jaffar Express en route from Quetta to Peshawar. The attackers bombed the railway track and fired rockets at the train, taking hostages and engaging in a prolonged standoff.
In response, security forces launched a two-day operation to neutralize the assailants. Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the military’s chief spokesperson, confirmed that 21 hostages were killed before the clearance operation commenced. He emphasized that no civilians were harmed during the final assault by armed forces.
“Our forces successfully freed a large number of passengers, including women and children,” he said, adding that troops cleared the train “bogey to bogey.”
Khan reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding concerns about terrorist groups using Afghan soil for cross-border attacks. “We have repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to prevent organizations like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) from operating within its borders,” he stated. Pakistan has previously provided evidence of militant safe havens and continues to seek regional cooperation against terrorism.
According to ISPR, the attack occurred in a remote, difficult-to-access area. The rescue mission involved the Army, Air Force, and Frontier Corps (FC), with elite Special Service Group (SSG) commandos also participating. The terrorists included suicide bombers, further complicating the operation.
The military confirmed that four security personnel lost their lives while preventing further casualties. “Their sacrifice saved countless lives and averted a larger catastrophe,” the ISPR statement read.
Pakistan has vowed to take all necessary measures to combat terrorism, urging neighboring countries to cooperate in eliminating militant sanctuaries.
