Pakistan: How was Jaffar Express attacked? Police officer tells the whole story
Pakistan: The train was not in a tunnel, it was in an open space. They were in hundreds, far more than our number.’
These are the words of a railway police officer aboard the Jaffar Express, who claims that after the attack by Baloch militants, he initially ‘fought the militants along with other police officers’ but then ‘when the ammunition ran out’ he too was taken hostage (by the militants).
Officials who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity said they managed to flee the scene a few hours after the Baloch Liberation Army militants attacked the train. They told the BBC what they saw at the scene and how the Jaffar Express was attacked.
Also Read: Deadly Clash in Balochistan: Pakistani Army Kills 23 Terrorists, Loses 18 Soldiers
A police official in Quetta said that contrary to initial reports from officials in Pakistan, the train was “not in a tunnel but in an open area” when it was attacked. It is worth noting that the Baloch Liberation Army has also released an alleged video of the operation, in which the train can be seen in an open area at the time of the explosion.
He said, “Suddenly there was an explosion on the railway track, after which the train stopped. As soon as the train stopped, the launchers (rockets) started firing and we understood that (now our) matter was over.”
Claim to fight against extremists
Remember that on Tuesday, when the nine-coach passenger train Jaffar Express going from Quetta to Peshawar was attacked, there were more than 400 passengers on the train. Military sources claim that 155 passengers have been rescued by Wednesday morning.
According to the officer, when the train stopped, a large number of extremists reached there. “They were moving ahead of us on the mountain and their number was much more than us, in hundreds.”
The officer said that there were six more security personnel including railway police with him.
According to the officer, he decided to confront the attackers and started firing back.
He said, “I asked my friend to give me the G3 rifle because it is a much better weapon. I took the rifle and bullets, then we started firing back. I decided to shoot them one by one so that they could not come near us and the train.”
Firing continued for one and half hour
The officer said the firing and counter-firing continued for about one to one-and-a-half hours. “We obviously had limited ammunition. I had 60 rounds in my G3. The rest had the same amount of ammunition. Some were given 60 rounds, some 40. When, in one-and-a-half hours, we ran out of bullets and they (attackers) realised that we had no reply, we were helpless, we had an empty rifle. I threw the rifle because they were going to kill me the moment they saw it.”
According to a railway police officer, after the counter-firing ended, the extremists climbed down from the nearby hills and started deboarding the train. “Then they came and started deboarding people from the entire train. They started checking the train and telling people to go this way, go that way,” he said.
Also Read: Deadly Clash in Balochistan: Pakistani Army Kills 23 Terrorists, Loses 18 Soldiers
“He asked, ‘Yes brother, what is your caste, what is your language?'” I am Saraiki, you stay here, I am Sindhi, you stay here. Similarly, Punjabis, Pathans, Balochs, they kept sidelining everyone one by one, in this way they formed many groups.”
According to the police officer, the extremists were speaking in Balochi language and were saying, “We have put forward demands to the government and if they are not met, we will not spare anyone, we will set the train on fire.”
The extremists were ordered to kill
The officer said the militants “tied the hands of the army men after dividing them among the people.”
“I and my friend were havildars, we were in uniform. One or two people even asked me to take off my uniform, but I refused.”
There has been no official information yet about the number of people killed in the attack, but the police officer has claimed that the extremists who attacked the train killed many passengers. He claims that the extremists were getting orders. He said, “They used to get orders to kill and they would pick up groups and kill them. They killed many people, including both army personnel and civilians.”
Also Read: Bangladesh in Turmoil: Protesters Explodes Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s House
The officer said that after darkness fell, many attackers fled from the spot and some stayed there. The officer said, “It was sunset time and it had become dark. Many of them hugged each other and 70-80 people left, while 20-25 people stayed there.”
It is noteworthy that according to reports, Pakistani security officials have claimed that some armed extremists have kidnapped passengers from the train and taken them to the nearby hills. Nothing has been said about the number of these passengers.
kill the men in uniform
The officer claimed, “Then, at one point, they said, kill the uniformed people too. We said, ‘We are Baloch.’. They said, “Why are you working?” I really can’t understand why they decided to leave us. This story continued till 10 p.m., and they said, “Everyone should stay where he is.”
According to the police officer, when the security personnel reached the spot on Wednesday morning, the attention of the extremists was diverted towards the security personnel. “Then I told my partner, ‘Let’s run away.’. When we were running, bullets were fired from behind, and my partner was injured by the bullet.”
The officer said, “He (my partner) told me to leave him alone; I said no, I will carry you on my shoulders. Then another person held our hand, and we came down from the hills and somehow came out of the firing range.”
Also Read: Bangladesh in Turmoil: Protesters Explodes Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s House
According to the officer, when they somehow reached the nearby railway station, security personnel were present there.
The officer said, “When we reached the station, the security personnel made us sit. There was blood on our faces. They washed our faces and then brought us fish to eat.”
What does the Balochistan Liberation Army want?
The people of Balochistan believe that they were forcibly included in Pakistan at the time of India-Pakistan partition, while they wanted to see themselves as an independent country.
This could not happen, so the struggle of the people of this province with the government and army of Pakistan continued and it continues even today.
Currently, many separatist groups demanding independence of Balochistan are active. One of the oldest and most effective organizations among these is BLA i.e. Balochistan Liberation Army.
It is believed that this organization first came into existence in the early 1970s.
The Balochs started an armed rebellion against the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. But after the military dictator Zia-ul-Haq took power, talks were held with Baloch nationalist leaders. And the result was that after the end of the armed rebellion, the Balochistan Liberation Army also disappeared.
Then it became active again in the year 2000. Some experts believe that BLA was officially established this year.
Since the year 2000, the organization started a series of attacks on government establishments and security forces in various areas of Balochistan. Most of the members of the Marri and Bugti tribes are included in the organization and they are fighting against the Pakistani government for regional autonomy.
Sardar Akbar Khan Bugti was the former Chief Minister of Balochistan. He is considered to be one of the most senior people of BLA. He was killed in an operation by Pakistani security forces on 26 August 2006.
After this, Nawabzada Balach Miri, son of Nawab Khair Baksh Miri, was made its head by the authorities. In November 2007, the news of Balach Miri’s death also came.
This year, the Pakistan government included the Balochistan Liberation Army in the list of extremist organizations.
This group wants to liberate Balochistan from foreign influence, especially China and the Pakistani government. BLA believes that they have the first right to the resources of Balochistan.
Also Read: Black Day Protests in Pakistan: Section 144 Imposed in Punjab Amid Imran Khan’s Party Demonstrations