EPA
Passengers who went safe have spoken of fear and panic on the train
The passengers who were released from a train seized by armed activists spoke of the “Doomsday scenes” which took place aboard the Jaffar Express in the province of Balutchistan in Pakistan.
“We retained our breath throughout the shooting, not knowing what would happen next,” said Ishaq Noor, who was one of those on board, at the BBC.
He was one of the more than 400 passengers traveling from Quetta to Peshawar on Tuesday when the Liberation Army of Balutchistan (Bla) attacked and took a hostage number. Rescue operations continue.
Military sources claim that 155 passengers have been released and 27 activists killed. There is no independent confirmation. More than a dozen released passengers have been transported to the hospital for treatment.
The security forces say they have deployed hundreds of soldiers to save the remaining passengers. Authorities also deployed helicopters and special forces staff.
The Bla has warned of the “serious consequences” if an attempt is made to save the hostages.
Reports citing security officials claim that some activists may have left the train, carrying an unknown number of passengers with them in the surrounding mountain area.
At least 100 of the people on the train were members of the security forces, officials said.
Muhammad Ashraf, who was traveling from Quetta to Lahore to visit her family, was part of a group of passengers who managed to land the train on Tuesday.
“There was a lot of fear among passengers. It was a scene from Doomsday,” he said.
The group then walked for almost four hours until the next station. Several of the men wore the weakest 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 traveling with his wife and two children, said that the initial explosion of the train was “so intense” that one of his children had fallen from the siege.
He and his wife each tried to protect a child in the middle of the shots.
“If a bullet arises, she will hit us and not children,” he said.
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Some passengers who managed to flee worked for almost four hours until the next station
Mushtaq Muhammad, who was in the third car on the train, recalled the “unforgettable” attack and the passengers struck with panic.
“The attackers were talking to Balochi, and their leader told them several times to” keep an eye “in particular on security personnel to ensure that (the attackers) do not lose them,” he said.
The attackers began to release certain residents of Balutchistan, as well as the women, children and the elderly passengers on Tuesday evening, said Mr. Ishaq, adding that he had been released when he told them that he was a resident of Turbat City in Balutchistan, and they saw that he had children and women with him.
However, we still do not know how many passengers are still held hostage.
The security forces claim to have launched a major operation to save the remaining passengers, deploying hundreds of troops. Authorities also deployed helicopters and special forces staff.
Wednesday, the BBC saw dozens of wooden coffins loaded at Quetta station. A railway official said they were empty and transported to perceive possible losses.
The Bla has warned of the “serious consequences” if an attempt was made to save those it holds.
BBC Ourdou
Wooden coffins were seen loaded at Quetta station
‘Seriously worried’
BL has led a several decades to gain independence and has launched many deadly attacks, often targeting police stations, railways and highways.
Connection operations in poor Balutchistan by the Pakistani army and the security forces have seen thousands of people disappear without trace since the early 2000s. Security forces have been accused of crimes, including tortures and extra-judicial murders, allegations they deny.
The Pakistani authorities – as well as several Western countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States – have appointed the group a terrorist organization.
Pakistan’s Human Rights Committee said it was “seriously concerned” by train diversion.
“We highly urge all the stakeholders who are relevant to forging an emergency consensus based on rights and pro-personals on the questions encountered by the citizens of Balutchistan and to find a peaceful political solution,” he said in a statement on X.
The Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres “strongly condemned” the seat of the train and also called for the immediate release of the remaining passengers.
Additional reports by Azadeh Moshiri
