EPAPassengers who were freed from a train seized by armed militants have spoken of “doomsday scenes” that unfolded on board the Jaffar Express in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
“We held our breath throughout the firing, not knowing what would happen next,” Ishaq Noor, who was one of those on board, told the BBC.
He was one of more than 400 passengers travelling from Quetta to Peshawar on Tuesday when the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) attacked and took a number hostage. The train driver was among several reported injured.
Military sources claim 155 passengers have been freed and 27 militants killed. There is no independent confirmation of those figures. Rescue operations are continuing.
Security forces say they have deployed hundreds of troops to rescue the remaining passengers. Authorities have also deployed helicopters and special forces personnel.
The BLA has warned of “severe consequences” if an attempt is made to rescue the remaining hostages.
More than a dozen freed passengers were taken to hospital for treatment.
Reports quoting security officials say some of the militants may have left the train, taking an unknown number of passengers with them into the surrounding mountainous area.
At least 100 of those on the train were members of the security forces, officials have said.
ReutersMuhammad Ashraf, who was travelling from Quetta to Lahore to visit family, was among a group of passengers who managed to disembark the train late on Tuesday.
“There was a lot of fear among the passengers. It was a scene of doomsday,” he said.
The group then walked for nearly four hours to the next railway station. Several of the men carried the weaker passengers on their shoulders.
“We reached the station with great difficulty, because we were tired and there were children and women with us,” he said.
Mr Noor, who was travelling with his wife and two children, said the initial explosion on the train was “so intense” that one of his children fell from the seat.
He and his wife each tried to shield one child amidst the gunfire.
“If a bullet comes our way, it will hit us and not the children,” he said.
Getty ImagesMushtaq Muhammad, who was in the train’s third carriage, recalled the “unforgettable” attack and passengers stricken with panic.
“The attackers were talking to each other in Balochi, and their leader repeatedly told them to ‘keep an eye’ particularly on the security personnel to make sure that [the attackers] do not lose them,” he said.
The attackers started to release some Balochistan residents, as well as women, children and elderly passengers, on Tuesday evening, Mr Ishaq said, adding that he was let go when he told them he was a resident of Turbat city in Balochistan, and they saw that he had children and women with him.
However, it is still unclear how many passengers are still being held hostage.
Security forces say they have launched a major operation to rescue remaining passengers, deploying hundreds of troops. Authorities have also deployed helicopters and special forces personnel.
On Wednesday, the BBC saw dozens of wooden coffins being loaded at Quetta railway station. A railway official said they were empty and being transported to collect any possible casualties.
BBC Urdu‘Gravely concerned’
The BLA has waged a decades-long insurgency to gain independence and has launched numerous deadly attacks, often targeting police stations, railway lines and highways.
Counter-insurgency operations in impoverished Balochistan by Pakistan’s army and security forces have reportedly seen thousands of people disappear without trace since the early 2000s. The security forces are accused of crimes including torture and extra-judicial killings, allegations they deny.
Pakistani authorities – as well as several Western countries, including the UK and US – have designated the group a terrorist organisation.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it is “gravely concerned” by the train hijack.
“We strongly urge all relevant stakeholders to forge an urgent rights-based, pro-people consensus on the issues faced by citizens in Balochistan and to find a peaceful, political solution,” it said in a statement on X.
The United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has “strongly condemned” the train siege and also called for the immediate release of remaining passengers.
Additional Reporting by Azadeh Moshiri
