Islamabad, September 20, 2025: A senior commander of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and mastermind of the Jaffar Express attack was killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, security sources confirmed on Saturday.
The militant, identified as Gul Rehman alias Ustad Mureed, was an operational commander of the BLA’s Majeed Brigade. Indian media also reported that he was killed on September 17.
Rehman had masterminded the March 2025 assault on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan’s Bolan district, when militants blew up train tracks and held more than 440 passengers hostage during a day-long standoff with security forces. The incident left 26 passengers martyred before security personnel cleared the train, rescued hostages, and killed at least 33 attackers. Four security officials were also martyred in the operation.
Security officials said Gul Rehman was involved in multiple terror attacks on civilians, security personnel, Chinese nationals, and projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He was described as a key figure of “Fitna al-Hindustan”, a network funded and backed by India’s intelligence agency RAW.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activity in recent months, with groups such as the BLA and the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) allegedly operating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. The uptick in cross-border militancy has intensified since the Taliban regained control of Kabul in 2021, particularly affecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban government to sever ties with the TTP and prevent its soil from being used for terrorism. Earlier this week, the Afghan interim envoy in Pakistan was summoned to the Foreign Office and warned that failure to act against such groups would be treated as “hostile” activity.
In July, Pakistan also raised the issue at the United Nations, with its Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad urging the international community to ensure Afghanistan does not once again become a hub for terrorism that threatens regional and global security.
