 "Passengers who were rescued from a train after it was attacked by separatist militants, walk with their belongings at the Railway Station in Quetta, Balochistan. Reuters")
Kabul’s Taliban regime on Thursday (March 13) rejected allegations levelled by Pakistan that Afghanistan-based militants were involved in the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan.
The attack, led by the Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist organisation, saw hundreds of passengers taken hostage in the Bolan region. The train, travelling from Quetta to Bolan, was carrying several personnel of Pakistan’s armed forces, including army and police.
Following the attack, authorities in Pakistan pointed fingers at Afghanistan, accusing its northern neighbour of harbouring the mastermind behind the train hijacking.
Taliban issue statement
However, Taliban rejected the claim as unfounded.
“We categorically reject baseless allegations by the Pakistani army spokesperson linking the attack on a passenger train in Balochistan province with Afghanistan, and urge the Pakistani side to focus on resolving their own security and internal problems instead of such irresponsible remarks,” said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pakistan earlier claimed the attackers were in constant touch with operatives active across the border in Afghanistan.
Claims and counterclaims
A Pakistani Army spokesperson announced on Wednesday that security forces had successfully ended an operation to rescue hostages from the hijacked train.
All 33 militants involved in the attack were killed, the spokesperson said. However, the operation resulted in the deaths of 21 passengers and four Pakistani soldiers, claimed the official.
“The armed forces successfully concluded the operation on (Wednesday) evening by killing all terrorists and rescuing all passengers safely,” Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said.
But this claim made by Pakistan Army was quickly rejected by the BLA. In a statement, it said the fighting was underway and they had inflicted heavy losses on the Pakistan Army.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“The ground reality is that the battle continues on multiple fronts, and the enemy (Pakistani military) is suffering heavy casualties and military losses,” the group said in a statement.
“The occupying army has neither achieved victory on the battlefield nor managed to save its hostage personnel,” it added.
More about BLA group
BLA, founded in 2000, aims to establish a state of Greater Balochistan.
The group from its inception has said it is fighting against the exploitation of the region’s resources by the Pakistani establishment and the mistreatment of natives when it comes to jobs and human rights
The BLA has been designated a global terror group by several Western nations including the US and UK, as per BBC.
(With inputs from agencies)