Jaffar Express siege ends: 33 terrorists killed and hostages freed

Over 20 people martyred in initial attack by militants

STATE OF THE NATION

March 14, 2025

A high-stakes military operation to rescue passengers from the hijacked Jaffar Express has concluded successfully, with security forces eliminating 33 terrorists and freeing all remaining hostages.

Although the horrible episode has ended, questions are being raised as to how the militants could pull off a daring ambush and hijack an entire train. Concerns are also being expressed about the rapidly shrinking writ of the federal and provincial authorities in some parts of the largest province of the country.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) head Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry and Information Minister Atta Tarar confirmed the military operation’s success, stating that the train’s carriages — stranded near the Mashkaf Tunnel in the Bolan range — had been secured.

Lt Gen Sharif revealed on Thursday that the train had approximately 440 passengers on board, but he did not specify the total number of hostages rescued. According to a senior security official quoted by Dawn, the operation was carried out in phases. In the first phase, over 100 hostages were freed, followed by the rescue of 80 more who were later moved to Machh.

Additionally, a dozen passengers, including two railway policemen, managed to escape and reach Quetta safely. However, the attack resulted in the deaths of 21 passengers, while four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were martyred.

Speaking to Dunya News, Lt Gen Sharif said the army, air force, Frontier Corps, and Special Services Group (SSG) commandos participated in the rescue effort. He noted that the terrorists had used hostages, including women and children, as human shields.

A group of armed militants patrolled the train and its surroundings, keeping watch over the hostages. SSG commandos executed a carefully coordinated assault to minimise casualties, managing to neutralise the remaining terrorists and rescue 68 hostages during the final phase.

With the terrorists eliminated, security forces are now engaged in clearance operations to secure the area.