Pakistan train siege ends: Army says over 300 hostages rescued, 33 BLA militants and 21 passengers killed

The 30-hour hostage crisis aboard Pakistan’s Jaffar Express came to a violent end on March 12, as the Pakistani military launched a final assault to rescue over 440 passengers taken hostage by Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) rebels.

The train, en route from Quetta to Peshawar, was hijacked on March 11, when BLA militants derailed the train with explosives and stormed the nine-coach passenger vehicle. It was a harrowing ordeal that saw 21 civilians and four security personnel killed.

In a statement, Pakistan's army confirmed the successful conclusion of the operation, stating that all 33 militants, including suicide bombers, were killed.

Security forces reported that the militants had been using hostages as human shields, which delayed the clearance operation. "The operation was conducted with extreme precision and caution," said Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif, explaining that snipers targeted suicide bombers first before securing each compartment.

Intelligence reports revealed that the attack had been orchestrated by a terrorist cell based in Afghanistan, with direct communication between Afghan-based operatives and the militants during the siege. Pakistan has now called on the Afghan government to prevent its soil from being used for such attacks. "Pakistan expects the Interim Afghan Government to uphold its responsibilities," the statement read.

Before the military's announcement, BLA spokesman claimed they had executed 50 hostages and threatened to kill more unless Pakistan released political prisoners and activists. The group, one of the strongest rebel factions in Balochistan, has long demanded the release of Baloch political prisoners it claims were forcibly disappeared by the military.

In a chilling video released by the BLA, the rebels could be seen bombing the train tracks and holding passengers at gunpoint. The footage, although grainy, depicted terrified passengers huddled on the ground as armed rebels watched over them.

Those freed from the ordeal recounted their terrifying experience. Muhammad Bilal, who was traveling with his mother, recalled walking for hours through the rugged Balochistan mountains to reach safety. "It was terrifying. I can't find the words to describe how we managed to escape," he told news agency AFP.

As the crisis concluded, many questioned the extended timeline of the rescue mission, with authorities attributing the delay to the rebels’ strategy of using innocent civilians as leverage in their fight against the state. However, in the end, the precision of Pakistan's security forces ensured that the majority of the hostages survived the terrifying ordeal.