Online Desk: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday accused India of being behind the deadly terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan. During his weekly briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan confirmed that the rescue operation following the Jaffar Express attack had been successfully completed. He also revealed that intelligence reports indicated the terrorists involved were in contact with their associates in Afghanistan during the operation.
The statement comes after security forces carried out a two-day operation to neutralise the terrorists who had hijacked the Jaffar Express. The ordeal began on Tuesday when separatist militants ambushed the Jaffar Express en route from Quetta to Peshawar, blowing up the railway track and attacking the train with rockets.
In a statement today, FO spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding concerns about terrorist groups using Afghan soil as a base for cross-border attacks. “We have repeatedly asked the Afghan interim government to prevent organisations like the BLA from operating within its borders,” Khan said. Pakistan has previously shared evidence with Afghan authorities regarding militant safe havens. While tensions between the two neighbours persist, Islamabad insists that counterterrorism cooperation remains a priority.
Following the operation, Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the chief military spokesperson, revealed that 21 hostages lost their lives during the day-long standoff. However, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general firmly said that no civilians were harmed in the final rescue operation carried out by the armed forces.
“Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children. The final operation was carried out with great care,” he said, adding that no civilians were killed in the operation. The security forces had cleared the train “bogey to bogey”, he said. According to the DG ISPR, the attack occurred in a remote and difficult-to-access area. He stated that the rescue operation was launched immediately, with the Army, Air Force and Frontier Corps (FC) taking part. “Today, SSG [Special Service Group] personnel also participated,” he added.
According to the ISPR statement, the terrorists included suicide bombers. “Tragically, during the stage of this intense standoff, the terrorists took the lives of 21 innocent hostages, before the commencement of clearance operation,” the statement continued. “Additionally, 4 brave security forces’ soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat. Their selfless actions saved countless lives and prevented further catastrophe,” he added.