Jaffar Express Hijacked: Released Pakistani Passenger Says He Saw 70-80 Bodies- wna24
Bolan: A released Pakistani passenger, who was onboard the hijacked Jaffar Express train, shared his eyewitness account from the life-threatening incident saying he saw at least 70-80 bodies lying there as the Baloch rebels were killing people inside the train. As per reports, at least 30 Pakistani soldiers and 27 Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) fighters have been killed since the ambush broke out on Tuesday. But if the eyewitness is to be believed, the death toll is much higher than what’s being officially reported by Pakistan .
The Baloch Liberation Army is holding up 214 active Pakistani military personnel as hostage as per ‘rules of war’ to negotiate with the Pakistan’s government to secure release of its members. The BLA has issued a final ultimatum to Islamabad to accept their demands else they will start executing Army personnel.
Baloch rebels hijacked the train on Tuesday in a well planned operation as they blew up the railway track when the train was exiting from tunnel number 8 in Pakistan’s Bolan area near Sibi station.
There were over 400 passengers on board the train Jaffar Express including women, children, and hundreds of Pakistani Army personnel, who were going on leave.
Soon after rebels hijacked the train, Pakistan launched a security operation including air strikes and ground gunfight. However, the Baloch fighters overpowered Pakistani soldiers and threatened the government that they will start executing the troops if Pakistan executed any covert operation.
Baloch rebels issued a fresh deadline of 24 hours a day after it issued a 48-hour warning to the Pakistan government to accept its demands and release their members including Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons and nation resistance activists unconditionally.
The hijackers have threatened Islamabad that they have placed suicide bombers near the train and will start killing all the hostages if their demands are not accepted.
The Baloch rebels are treating Pakistani soldiers are prisoners of war and holding them up under a tight security.
Not just the train hijack, but Baloch Liberation Army has been up and armed against the Pakistani establishment for giving Balochistan a step-brotherly treatment to the region and is fighting its liberation war. If Balochistan succeeds then Pakistan may lose 40 per cent of its territory.