A deadly attack on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan claimed the lives of 21 passengers and four paramilitary soldiers, according to Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif.

The train, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar with around 400 passengers across nine coaches, was derailed and hijacked by militants on Tuesday near the rugged Gudalar and Piru Kunri terrain, 160 kilometers from Quetta, using explosives in a tunnel.

Speaking to Dunya News TV on Wednesday, Lt Gen Sharif confirmed that security forces concluded a successful operation that evening, eliminating all 33 militants involved and rescuing the remaining passengers. “The armed forces killed all terrorists and secured the release of hostages,” he stated.

He revealed that the 21 passengers were killed by the attackers during the initial assault, while four Frontier Corps soldiers also lost their lives in the confrontation.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday, asserting they had killed six soldiers. However, the army’s account confirms a higher casualty toll and the complete neutralization of the militants.

The operation marks a significant response to the escalating insurgency in Balochistan, a mineral-rich region long plagued by separatist violence, as authorities work to restore stability following the harrowing hostage crisis.