Pakistan military ends train standoff, says 21 hostages and four troops killed

Record ID: 1982956

  • Title: Pakistan military ends train standoff, says 21 hostages and four troops killed
  • Date: 12th March 2025
  • Summary: QUETTA, PAKISTAN (MARCH 12, 2025) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RESCUED TRAIN PASSENGERS ARRIVING AT QUETTA RAILWAY STATION, RECEIVING MEDICAL TREATMENT FROM PARAMEDICS (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) JAFFAR EXPRESS TRAIN DRIVER, AMJAD, SAYING: "A bomb blast derailed our train, and we managed to bring it to a stop. But the attack persisted, with militants firing on the engine. We took cover on
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: BLA PAKISTANT QUETTA TRAIN ATTACK
  • Location: QUETTA, PAKISTAN
  • City: QUETTA, PAKISTAN
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA001837812032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Pakistani security forces stormed a train on Wednesday (March 12) that had been hijacked by separatist militants, killing all 33 attackers and ending a day-long standoff involving hundreds of hostages, the military said.
    Separatist Baloch militants on Tuesday blew up the railway track and hurled rockets at the Jaffar Express when it was on its way to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from Balochistan's capital of Quetta, carrying 440 people.
    The military said 21 hostages and four security troops were killed over the course of the standoff.
    Rescued passengers from a hijacked train arrived at Quetta railway station, where paramedics provided first aid to the injured.
    The driver of the hijacked Jaffar Express train recounted the harrowing 27-hour ordeal, saying the train was derailed by a bomb blast and then came under militant fire. Amjad, the driver, said he and others took cover on the engine floor, and were later freed in a successful military operation after the terrorists mistakenly believed them to be dead."
    Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti praised the bravery of security forces, particularly SSG soldiers, who rescued 68 hostages despite coming under fire. One soldier was injured, and Bugti wished for their swift recovery. The operation resulted in the elimination of around 50 terrorists, although civilian casualties are still unknown but reportedly substantial. Bugti emphasized that the government reserves the right to respond to violence in line with tribal, Islamic, and constitutional values
    The militants have in recent months stepped up their activities using new tactics to inflict high death and injury tolls and target Pakistan's military.
    Baloch militant groups say they have been fighting for a larger share in the regional wealth of mines and minerals denied by the central government.

    (Production: Fazal Tawab, Khair Muhammad, Salah Uddin, Yawar Afzal Malik)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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