• Talal says all passengers will be rescued soon.
• Confirms hostages included govt officials and families.
• Adds terrorists had taken passengers to mountainous area. 

Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry dismissed on Tuesday the claim by the terrorists of freeing some women and children hostages from the Jaffer Express, saying that the attackers were using them as ‘human shields’.

“Security forces were practising caution because of the lives involved…they are conducting a full-scale operation and all passengers will be rescued soon,” Talal said while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’.  

Earlier in the day, terrorists attacked Jaffar Express in Balochistan’s Bolan distrct had taken passengers, including women and children.

The train, with over 400 passengers on board in nine bogies, was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it came under attack, according to security sources.  

Giving details of the attack, he said that the train was taken hostage around noon in a remote area. “Some passengers were freed as security forces began reaching the site,” he said, adding that he could not yet disclose the numbers.

The state minister added that the freed passengers were being taken to the nearest station and eventually their intended destinations. He also confirmed that the hostages included government officials and their families.

The minister further said that the terrorists had taken many passengers to the nearby mountainous area, reiterating that women and children were not released by the attackers but recovered through the efforts of the security forces.

Calling the attackers “cowards”, Talal said they pick soft targets and attack while hiding.

“Unfortunately, such incidents are being supported by our own people along with the enemy on social media,” he said, without mentioning any group or name.

The state minister called upon the international community to stand by Pakistan in the war against terrorism. “Evidence is present that these terrorists gain support from Afghanistan,” he said, adding that they are being funded by Afghanistan’s drug money. 

Amid the ongoing clearance operation, security forces successfully eliminated at least 13 attackers and rescued 80 hostages.

Among those rescued are 53 men, 26 women and 11 children. Security sources added forces are continuing the operation to rescue the other hostages, and the circle around the terrorists is being tightened.

Following the security forces’ operation, the militants split into small groups, security sources said, adding that the injured passengers were shifted to a nearby hospital for immediate medical treatment.

Soon after the attack started, security forces cordoned off and surrounded the train, and a heavy exchange of fire was reported.

Security sources said that the terrorists behind the attack are in contact with their mastermind in Afghanistan and are using women and children as human shields.

The operation is being carried out with extreme caution due to the presence of civilians onboard. Security sources elaborated that the operation is further complicated by the difficult terrain of the area.

The attackers bombed the railway track before storming aboard the train, said security forces, adding that they also opened fire on the locomotive, injuring the driver.