A military spokesperson says the rescue operation has concluded and that all 33 attackers were killed.
Pakistan’s military stormed a hijacked train in Balochistan Wednesday, freeing over 300 passengers after a brutal standoff that left 21 hostages dead at the hands of insurgents. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group notorious for targeting security forces and foreign workers, claimed the attack on the Jaffer Express, which was trapped in a tunnel after militants detonated the tracks Tuesday. All 50 assailants perished in the operation, alongside three soldiers guarding the line, said military spokesperson Lt.-Gen. Ahmad Sharif.
The train, carrying 440 souls from Quetta to Peshawar, became a battleground in the restive, resource-rich province. Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti hailed the troops’ success, but questions linger about the fate of remaining passengers. The BLA had demanded a prisoner swap, threatening lives—a gambit that failed. As rescued families reunite and the wounded flood hospitals in Quetta and Mach, analysts warn the civilian toll could erode the BLA’s local support. China, a key investor in the region, condemned the violence, pledging deeper counterterrorism ties with Pakistan.