Passengers describe 'doomsday scenes' on Pakistan hijacked train

Passengers who were freed from a bid seized by equipped militants person spoken of "doomsday scenes" that unfolded connected committee the Jaffar Express successful Pakistan's Balochistan province.

"We held our enactment passim the firing, not knowing what would hap next," Ishaq Noor, who was 1 of those connected board, told the BBC.

He was 1 of much than 400 passengers travelling from Quetta to Peshawar connected Tuesday erstwhile the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) attacked and took a fig hostage. The bid operator was among respective reported injured.

Military sources assertion 155 passengers person been freed and 27 militants killed. There is nary autarkic confirmation of those figures. Rescue operations are continuing.

Security forces accidental they person deployed hundreds of troops to rescue the remaining passengers. Authorities person besides deployed helicopters and peculiar forces personnel.

The BLA has warned of "severe consequences" if an effort is made to rescue the remaining hostages.

More than a twelve freed passengers were taken to infirmary for treatment.

Reports quoting information officials accidental immoderate of the militants whitethorn person near the train, taking an chartless fig of passengers with them into the surrounding mountainous area.

At slightest 100 of those connected the bid were members of the information forces, officials person said.

Muhammad Ashraf, who was travelling from Quetta to Lahore to sojourn family, was among a radical of passengers who managed to disembark the bid precocious connected Tuesday.

"There was a batch of fearfulness among the passengers. It was a country of doomsday," helium said.

The radical past walked for astir 4 hours to the adjacent railway station. Several of the men carried the weaker passengers connected their shoulders.

"We reached the presumption with large difficulty, due to the fact that we were bushed and determination were children and women with us," helium said.

Mr Noor, who was travelling with his woman and 2 children, said the archetypal detonation connected the bid was "so intense" that 1 of his children fell from the seat.

He and his woman each tried to shield 1 kid amidst the gunfire.

"If a slug comes our way, it volition deed america and not the children," helium said.

Mushtaq Muhammad, who was successful the train's 3rd carriage, recalled the "unforgettable" onslaught and passengers stricken with panic.

"The attackers were talking to each different successful Balochi, and their person repeatedly told them to 'keep an eye' peculiarly connected the information unit to marque definite that [the attackers] bash not suffer them," helium said.

The attackers started to merchandise immoderate Balochistan residents, arsenic good arsenic women, children and aged passengers, connected Tuesday evening, Mr Ishaq said, adding that helium was fto spell erstwhile helium told them helium was a nonmigratory of Turbat metropolis successful Balochistan, and they saw that helium had children and women with him.

However, it is inactive unclear however galore passengers are inactive being held hostage.

Security forces accidental they person launched a large cognition to rescue remaining passengers, deploying hundreds of troops. Authorities person besides deployed helicopters and peculiar forces personnel.

On Wednesday, the BBC saw dozens of woody coffins being loaded astatine Quetta railway station. A railway authoritative said they were bare and being transported to cod immoderate imaginable casualties.

The BLA has waged a decades-long insurgency to summation independence and has launched galore deadly attacks, often targeting constabulary stations, railway lines and highways.

Counter-insurgency operations successful impoverished Balochistan by Pakistan's service and information forces person reportedly seen thousands of radical vanish without hint since the aboriginal 2000s. The security forces are accused of crimes including torture and extra-judicial killings, allegations they deny.

Pakistani authorities - arsenic good arsenic respective Western countries, including the UK and US - person designated the radical a violent organisation.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it is "gravely concerned" by the bid hijack.

"We powerfully impulse each applicable stakeholders to forge an urgent rights-based, pro-people statement connected the issues faced by citizens successful Balochistan and to find a peaceful, governmental solution," it said successful a connection connected X.

The United Nations' Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has "strongly condemned" the bid siege and besides called for the contiguous merchandise of remaining passengers.

Additional Reporting by Azadeh Moshiri