EPAPeople who were freed from a coach seized by armed insurgents have spoken of “doomsday images” that unfolded on table the Jaffar Express in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
” We held our breath throughout the fire, not knowing what would happen future”, Ishaq Noor, who was one of those on table, 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 only proved victim is the train driver. Recovery activities are continuing.
Military options claim 155 people have been freed and 27 insurgents killed. There is no separate assurance.
Safety forces say they have deployed hundreds of troops to save the remaining customers. Officials have also deployed aircraft and special forces employees.
The BLA has warned of” significant effects” if an attempt is made to save victims.
More than a few freed people were taken to hospital for treatment.
Information quoting safety authorities say some of the insurgents may have left the train, taking an undisclosed number of passengers with them into the surrounding hilly area.
At least 100 of those on the station were members of the security forces, authorities have said.
ReutersMuhammad Ashraf, who was travelling from Quetta to Lahore to visit relatives, was among a group of people who managed to depart the coach later on Tuesday.
” There was a lot of concern among the customers. It was a picture of doomsday”, he said.
The party then walked for almost four days to the next railway station. Several of the people carried the weaker people on their arms.
” We reached the place with great trouble, 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 first explosion on the coach was” but powerful” that one of his babies fell from the chair.
He and his wife each tried to shield one kid amidst the gunshots.
” If a bullet comes our way, it does strike us and not the children”, he said.
Getty ImagesMushtaq Muhammad, who was in the vehicle’s second carriage, recalled the “unforgettable” harm and people stricken with anxiety.
” 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 intruders started to release some Balochistan people, as well as people, children and elderly people, on Tuesday night, Mr Ishaq said, adding that he was letting go when he told them he was a native of Turbat town in Balochistan, and they saw that he had children and women with him.
Nevertheless, it is still unclear how many people are still being held prisoner.
Security forces say they have launched a big operation to save remaining people, deploying hundreds of troops. Officials have also deployed aircraft and special forces employees.
On Wednesday, the BBC saw lots of wooden tombs being loaded at Quetta rail station. A rail official said they were bare and being transported to obtain any possible deaths.
The BLA has warned of” significant effects” if an attempt was made to save those it is holding.
BBC Urdu‘ Profoundly troubled’
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
