A day after the Pakistani Army claimed that all 33 Baloch insurgents who highjacked a passenger train carrying over 400 passengers on Tuesday (11th March) were killed, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) refuted their statement, calling it a lie. The BLA said on Thursday (13th March) that intense fighting continued between the BLA and the Pakistani forces, with the latter suffering heavy losses. The rebel group claimed responsibility for executing 214 hostages, said to be Pakistani army personnel, and blamed the Pakistani Army’s refusal to negotiate for their deaths.
BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that Pakistani forces ignored a 48-hour ultimatum for a prisoner exchange, which resulted in the death of the hostages. “Baloch Liberation Army had given the Pakistani army a 48-hour ultimatum to exchange prisoners of war, which was the last chance for the occupying army to save the lives of its personnel,” the statement read. “However, Pakistan, displaying its traditional stubbornness and military arrogance, avoided serious negotiations and turned a blind eye to the ground realities. As a result, all 214 hostages have been executed,” said the BLA.
In the statement, the BLA also paid tribute to its members who lost their lives during a confrontation with Pakistani forces. “BLA pays tribute to the 12 freedom fighters martyred in this battle, who made an unforgettable sacrifice against the enemy. On Wednesday night, three freedom fighters were martyred, while last night, four more fighters lost their lives in combat. Additionally, five Fidayeen of the Majeed Brigade sacrificed their lives, dealing the enemy a defeat that will always be remembered in history,” the statement said. BLA claimed to have acted within the limits of the international law.
The BLA termed their operation as ‘Darra-e-Bolan’ and said that the operation continues. “Baloch Liberation Army will release details about Operation Darra-e-Bolan to the media after the operation is completed. The battle is still ongoing”, the rebel group said.
The train highjacking
On Tuesday, the BLA opened fire on the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express when it was passing through the Mashkaf tunnel near Gudalar and Piru Kunri. The train was coming from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. On Wednesday (12th March), the Pakistani Army announced the operation to rescue all the hostages from the highjacked Jaffar Express had ended. It added that all 33 insurgents were killed and that 21 passengers and 4 Pakistani Army personnel lost their lives during the operation.
“The armed forces successfully concluded the operation on (Wednesday) evening by killing all terrorists and rescuing all passengers safely,” said Lt. Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry. “Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children. The final operation was carried out with great care,” he said, adding 440 people had been on board and security forces had cleared the train “bogey to bogey”. However, the BLA said that the claims of the Pakistani Army were misleading. It said that the Pakistani Army personnel claimed to be ‘rescued’ by the Pakistani forces were actually released by the BLA complying with its war ethics and international norms.
