RAWALPINDI: The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed on Wednesday that all terrorists involved in the Jaffar Express attack have been eliminated. The attack claimed the lives of 21 passengers and four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.
According to DG ISPR, the operation was carried out in phases, ensuring the elimination of all terrorists. He emphasized that no hostages suffered harm during the operation, though area clearance and train inspections by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) are still underway.
Following the attack, the rules of engagement have been revised, with Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif stating that such terrorists will not be spared under any circumstances. He underscored that these militants have no affiliation with Islam, Pakistan, or Balochistan.
Providing details of the operation, he explained that the casualties among passengers occurred before the security forces intervened. Security personnel executed the operation with precision, initially neutralizing the suicide bombers with sniper fire. The terrorists had halted the train near Bolan around 1 PM on March 11 by blowing up the railway track. At the time, the train had 440 passengers on board.
A swift rescue operation commenced immediately, with hostages freed in phases despite the challenging terrain, which is far from populated areas and roads. The Army, Air Force, Frontier Corps, and SSG commandos collaborated to execute the mission.
DG ISPR also disclosed that the terrorists used hostages as human shields and maintained communication with their masterminds in Afghanistan via satellite links.
The attack on the Peshawar-Quetta Jaffar Express occurred on Tuesday, severely injuring the train’s driver and targeting innocent civilians. The militants detonated a bomb on the railway track, bringing the train to a halt, and took approximately 400 passengers, including women and children, hostage.
The successful operation led to the rescue of 190 hostages and the elimination of all 33 terrorists involved.
