‘Lost’: Baloch rebels claim Pak army living in denial

Quetta: The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on Thursday rejected the Pakistani military’s statement that all Baloch insurgents involved in the Jaffar Express hijacking had been killed. The insurgents insisted that intense fighting was still ongoing, and Pakistani forces were facing heavy casualties.

“The ground reality is that the battle continues on multiple fronts, and the enemy (Pakistani military) is suffering heavy casualties and military losses,” the BLA said in a statement. “The occupying army has neither achieved victory on the battlefield nor managed to save its hostage personnel,” said the outfit, which is fighting for the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan.

On Tuesday, Baloch insurgents attacked the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express, which was carrying 425 passengers in nine coaches. The train was passing through the Mashkaf tunnel near the mountainous regions of Gudalar and Piru Kunri when the attack occurred. The train had started its journey from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.

The BLA accused the Pakistani Army of spreading false information to mislead the public. The BLA stated that soldiers claimed to have been “rescued” were actually released by the group as part of its commitment to war ethics and international standards.

Meanwhile, Pakistan accused India of “sponsoring terrorism” on Thursday without directly implicating it in the train attack.