27 BLA terrorists killed, 155 passengers rescued

Soldiers secure Mach railway station in Pakistan following the ambush. Pic/AFP

Pakistan security forces on Wednesday successfully rescued 155 hostages held by terrorists after an attack on the Jaffar Express at Balochistan's Bolan Pass, killing 27 attackers, ARY News reported citing security sources. The rescued hostages included men, women, and children, of which 37 were injured during the rescue operation.

A group of terrorists launched the attack on the Peshawar-Quetta Jaffar Express, leaving the driver severely injured in the Bolan Pass area of Balochistan, while targeting civilians. The militants detonated a bomb on the railway track, bringing the train to a halt, and then took over around 400 passengers hostage. The terrorists are still holding around 240 people hostage.

Meanwhile, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which claimed responsibility for the attack, has threatened to execute ten Pakistani hostages in retaliation for drone strikes and artillery shelling by Pakistani forces and also issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding Pakistan release forcibly disappeared activists.

BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch accused Pakistan's military of executing "irresponsible and foolish military aggression", claiming that drone strikes and artillery shelling targeted BLA positions near the hijacked Jaffar Express train.

Jeeyand Baloch warned, "In response to today's reckless bombardment, we are forced to execute 10 more hostages immediately. If Pakistani forces launch another attack - even a single bullet - ten additional hostages will be executed immediately."

As per Radio Pakistan, the terrorists are in contact with their facilitators in Afghanistan and were wearing explosive vests.

240
Approx. no. of people still being held hostage

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