Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that terrorists and their enablers and facilitators would be challenged both inside and outside the country, as he held a press conference in Islamabad related to the Jaffar Express attack.
The attack began on Tuesday afternoon when Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists ambushed the Peshawar-bound train carrying 440 passengers, opening fire and taking hostages. Security forces launched a two-day operation, concluding on Wednesday evening. Lt Gen Chaudhry confirmed that all 33 terrorists were neutralised, but no hostages were harmed in the final rescue phase. He also said the incident had changed the “rules of the game”.
During the presser — conducted alongside Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti — Lt Gen Chaudhry was asked whether there had been any changes or developments in the “rules” since his statement.
“Terrorists will be dealt with as they deserve, as those who drag innocent people out of buses and slaughter them, a group that divides people by ethnicity, have no connection to Baloch [ethnicity] or Islam.
“We will deal with them as they deserve. We will take them on, their facilitators, their abettors, whether inside Pakistan or outside Pakistan,” he responded.
Key points:
DG ISPR says terrorists, facilitators to be confronted in or out of Pakistan
Says India “main sponsor” of terrorism in Balochistan
Says Afghan and foreign weapons used in recent attack and other incidents
Says count of fatalities has risen to 26, could rise further since 37 recovered hostages were injured
Advises against calling such incidents “intelligence failure”
CM Bugti says RAW, other hostile agencies waging war via Afghanistan
Lt Gen Chaudhry, who maintained that India was the main sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan, said the terrorists had used Afghan and foreign weapons in the recent incident and previous attacks.
“We must understand that in this terrorist incident in Balochistan, and others before, the main sponsor is your eastern neighbour (India).”
DG ISPR then criticised the Indian media for spreading propaganda about the incident.
“The Indian media displayed fake footage of the incident to spread propaganda,” he said, as he showed some video clips on a screen to prove his point.
“They attempted to create a narrative by sharing AI-generated images and fake videos. They were leading an informational warfare.”
The DG ISPR said a “nexus” was working amid the situation to give legitimacy to the terrorists and their narrative.
Showing various clips of Indian officials and personalities discussing efforts to destabilise Balochistan, the DG ISPR said the Jaffar Express attack was a “continuation of the same policy”.
Most successful hostage operation
Providing details of the train attack and the ensuing rescue operation, he said that the terrorists had deliberately selected a remote location to conduct the attack where there were no telecommunication signals, adding that one group of hostages with women and children was kept inside the train, while the other travellers were brought outside and gathered on the ground.
“They operated in multiple groups, taking strategic positions on higher ground. After planting the improvised explosive device (IED), which disabled the train, they took the passengers hostage,” he detailed.
Lt Gen Chaudhry added that the terrorists had suicide bombers among their ranks.
The military media chief gave a detailed breakdown of the operation, describing each step. “Within 36 hours, in a remote area with inaccessible terrain and the presence of suicide bombers, our soldiers, the air force and the FC (Frontier Corps) successfully conducted the operation with professionalism and bravery.”
He added that the Special Services Group’s Zarrar Company had arrived in the area by midday and was monitoring the terrorists from a distance.
“They carried out a situational assessment,” he said. “They had to plan the operation very carefully because of suicide bombers, who could detonate their vests and kill the maximum number of people.”
DG ISPR said that Zarrar Company targeted the suicide bombers from a distance before moving in to secure the hostages, adding that the hostages, who were sitting in the open for 24 hours, took the opportunity to run to safety.
The media chief showed the audience drone footage of people running from the train.
“They ran in multiple directions, wherever they could go,” he said, adding that once they were safe, Zarrar Company operators cleared the train, moving from the front engine to the rear bogie.
Highlighting drone footage of the soldiers moving into the front engine, DG ISPR said, “They entered and cleared the front engine, killing any terrorists they encountered. They then cleared the whole train bogie by bogie.”
“Not even a single casualty was recorded among the hostages during this entire operation,” DG ISPR highlighted. “Despite their intentions, they (the terrorists) were unable to kill even a single hostage,” he added, clarifying that some passengers had embraced martyrdom before the operation.
“In terms of operations carried out on trains, this can very rightly be put out as the most successful hostage operation conducted,” DG ISPR said.
“A group of hostages was released based on their ethnic affiliations. Just as the CM said it, these terrorists have nothing to do with being Baloch, being Pakistani or being a Muslim.”
He added that there were logistical reasons for the terrorists to release some passengers since there were too many on the train for them to be able to control.
He said the terrorists tried to create a “false impression” of humanitarian values by claiming they had released some hostages.
DG ISPR further stated that a Zarrar Comapny soldier was injured by a sniper positioned on higher ground. “He (the sniper) was taken out, but our young soldier was injured.”
Pictures of terrorists killed during the operation and the weapons and equipment they were using were also shown to the audience. Additionally, DG ISPR also showed video clips of soldiers during the operation itself, along with video messages from rescued hostages.
