Security forces have intensified their clearance operation following the terrorist attack on Jaffar Express.

So far, 30 terrorists have been eliminated, while 190 passengers have been rescued. However, remaining hostages are still being held with suicide bombers.

According to security sources, the presence of women and children near the bombers has made the operation extremely delicate. Forces are proceeding with caution to neutralise the remaining terrorists. Three to four carriages of the train have been secured.

How the attack unfolded

Jaffar Express departed Quetta at 9:30am on March 11. As it passed through Gudallar and Piro Konari, unidentified gunmen opened fire. The train driver was critically injured and later succumbed to his wounds. Several passengers also lost their lives.

Eyewitnesses and Levies sources reported that the train was halted in the mountainous region of Machh. The terrorists used explosives to destroy the railway track before opening fire, killing the driver and several passengers.

Following the attack, train services from Quetta to the rest of the country were suspended.

Security has been heightened at Quetta railway station, and a relief train carrying medical supplies is en route to Machh.

190 passengers rescued, 30 terrorists killed

Security forces successfully freed 190 hostages, including 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children. Among them, 17 were injured and have been taken to the hospital.

According to railway officials, some passengers remained with relatives in Aab-e-Gum and Machh, while 90 others were transported to Quetta by van.

Authorities confirm that terrorists, including suicide bombers, are still present. The militants have positioned suicide attackers among hostages and are using them as human shields.

Meanwhile, security forces have eliminated 30 terrorists in the clearance operation. The remaining militants have split into smaller groups, and intense gunfire is ongoing.

430 passengers were on board

Railway officials confirmed that Jaffar Express had 430 passengers at the time of the attack. The train remains stationary at the attack site due to poor mobile network coverage, complicating rescue efforts.

Attackers linked to Afghan-based mastermind

Security sources report that the terrorists behind the attack were in direct contact with their mastermind in Afghanistan.

Following the incident, Indian and anti-state social media networks have become unusually active, attempting to spread propaganda.

Misinformation campaigns using old videos, AI-generated content, outdated images, fake WhatsApp messages, and fabricated posters are being deployed to create panic.

Exiled Baloch figures abroad are reportedly being used to spread misleading narratives.

Officials emphasise that the targeting of innocent passengers proves that these terrorists have no religious, national, or provincial loyalty, further exposing their malicious agenda against Pakistan and Balochistan.

According to railway officials, the train, carrying at least 430 passengers, was halted after an explosion destroyed the tracks. Reports indicate several injuries, but confirmation is ongoing.

The railway spokesperson confirmed that emergency measures have been enforced in all nearby hospitals. Ambulances from Sibi have been dispatched to the site, while security reinforcements are en route.

Terrorists used explosives to derail the train

According to sources, terrorists used explosives to derail the train before opening fire. The attack resulted in multiple fatalities, including the train’s driver.

Security officials said that the assailants have taken passengers hostage and are engaged in intermittent gunfire. Communication with the train is difficult as mobile networks in the area are down.

The Jaffar Express, consisting of nine coaches, was en route from Quetta to Peshawar when it was attacked inside a tunnel near Bolan Pass.

Relief efforts underway

An information desk has been set up for affected families, while other trains en route to Quetta, including the Bolan Mail and another Jaffar Express service, have been halted at Sibi.

As part of rescue efforts, 80 freed passengers have been transported to Machh, from where they will be moved to Quetta. The government is arranging further transportation and providing medical aid and food to those rescued. Frontier Corps (FC) personnel are overseeing security during the evacuation process.

Balochistan CM vows to eradicate terrorists

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack on Jaffar Express, calling it a cowardly act of terrorism. He vowed that the attackers would face a dire fate.

“Those who spill innocent blood will find no place on this earth. We will eliminate every last terrorist,” he declared.

Issuing a strong warning, CM Bugti said, “Let the enemy hear this loud and clear —anyone challenging the state’s authority in Balochistan will be wiped out. An attack on the state is intolerable, and we will hunt down these killers one by one. The public should not be afraid; we will not rest until the last enemy is eliminated.”

He assured that security forces were in pursuit of the terrorists and no attacker would escape. A search operation was underway in the area and would continue until the last militant was neutralised.

“The entire nation stands firmly with our brave security forces. We will uproot terrorism completely,” he stated.

Calling the attack an assault on national security, CM Bugti promised a strong response.

“There is no room for terrorists in Balochistan. With national unity, we will cut off the enemy’s roots,” he affirmed.

Iranian Embassy condemns attack

The Iranian Embassy has strongly condemned the terrorist attack, denouncing the violence against train passengers, including women, children, and the elderly. In an official statement, the embassy declared that targeting transport systems is a cowardly crime against humanity.

PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah

Adviser to the Prime Minister, Rana Sanaullah, said that security forces are doing everything possible in response to the attack. He further confirmed that Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir is being briefed on the operation in real time.

CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz strongly condemned the attack on the Jaffar Express and prayed for the safe return of all passengers.

Praising the security forces for their swift action, she remarked that terrorists who target innocent passengers have no humanity.

“From the depth of my heart, I pray for the safety of every traveler,” she added.

Sharjeel Memon

Sindh’s Senior Minister, Sharjeel Memon, also condemned the attack in Bolan, Balochistan, stating that such acts of terrorism cannot weaken the nation’s resolve.

Calling the attack a cowardly attempt by anti-state elements to destabilise Pakistan, he said, “These terrorists seek to spread fear, but they will not succeed at any cost.”

He further emphasised that those who target innocent civilians deserve no leniency, adding that the entire nation stands united against terrorism.

Past incidents

Pakistan has been battling a resurgence of militant violence in its western border regions since the Taliban’s 2021 return to power in Afghanistan.

Last year saw casualties hit a six-year high, with more than 1,500 civilians, security forces and militants killed, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.

Last week, at least three barbers from Sindh were killed when unidentified men opened fire on them in their shop in Panjgur.

On March 7, prominent religious scholar Mufti Shah Mir Bizenjo was killed in Turbat by unidentified gunmen. He had just stepped out of the mosque after offering prayers when armed assailants opened fire on him.

An Indian report claimed that Bizenjo “played a key role” in the arrest of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.