Islamabad: DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has confirmed that all militants involved in the Jaffar Express attack have been eliminated. The operation, which involved the Pakistan Army, Air Force, Frontier Corps (FC), and Special Services Group (SSG), was successfully carried out with precision and professionalism.
Speaking on Dunya News' program On the Front, DG ISPR detailed that before the operation began, militants had killed 21 civilians. A phased operation was launched to rescue hostages.
Providing a timeline of events, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif stated that on March 11, at approximately 1 PM, militants blew up a section of the railway track in the Osi Pur area of Bolan, just as the Jaffar Express train was approaching. According to railway authorities, the train was carrying 440 passengers.
Describing the challenging nature of the operation, DG ISPR said that the militants initially used hostages, including women and children, as human shields. Despite these difficulties, the security forces, including the Pakistan Army, Air Force, FC, and SSG, launched an immediate rescue operation.
"Hostages were freed in phases," he said, adding that the militants maintained satellite communication with their facilitators and masterminds in Afghanistan throughout the operation. By the evening of March 11, nearly 100 passengers had been safely rescued from militants captivity.
Further hostages, including women and children, were freed today in a continued effort, and the final clearance operation was carried out in the evening. "All remaining hostages were successfully rescued. The militants were using them as human shields, so the operation was executed with extreme skill and caution," he explained.
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif revealed that snipers from the security forces first neutralized the suicide bombers before proceeding with a step-by-step clearance of the train’s compartments. "All militants on board were eliminated," he confirmed, noting that a total of 33 Militants were killed in the operation.
While emphasizing that no innocent passengers were harmed during the clearance operation, he expressed grief over the 21 civilians killed by terrorists before the operation. Additionally, three FC personnel posted at the railway picket were killed, while one more FC soldier lost his life during the operation.
He assured that all militants present at the scene have been eliminated, while a bomb disposal squad is currently conducting further checks on the train and surrounding areas as per standard operating procedures (SOPs).
DG ISPR also mentioned that efforts are underway to gather passengers who fled to nearby areas during the operation. "Let me make it clear: no one will be allowed to target innocent Pakistani citizens in trains, buses, or markets in pursuit of their misguided ideologies or on the instructions of foreign handlers," he stated firmly.
He further asserted that those involved in such heinous acts will be either eliminated or brought to justice. “The Jaffar Express attack has changed the rules of the game. These militants have no connection to Islam, Pakistan, or Balochistan,” he declared.
