QUETTA, Pakistan: Pakistan’s security forces launched an operation and rescued 80 passengers after a group of terrorists on Tuesday opened fire on a passenger train in the Bolan area of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, security sources said.
According to sources, security forces have rescued 80 passengers, including 43 men, 26 women, and 11 children, from the terrorists.
The rescued passengers have been transported to Panaiyur railway station in Dadar.
Earlier, a group of terrorists opened fire on the Jaffar Express train in the Bolan area of Balochistan province, critically injuring the train driver, officials said.
According to Levies officials, the Jaffar Express, carrying several passengers, was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when it came under attack in the Peru Kanri area of Bolan.
The terrorists opened fire on the train and took control of it inside a tunnel in the mountainous region bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
Security personnel on board the train exchanged heavy gunfire with the attackers.
Despite the remote and difficult terrain, security forces quickly reached the site, surrounded the area, and launched a clearance operation.
Pakistan’s security forces swiftly cordoned off the area and surrounded the terrorists, security sources said. The area is located in difficult mountainous terrain near Machh.
The complex operation is being conducted with utmost caution due to the difficult terrain and the terrorists’ use of women and children as human shields, security sources added.
Security forces will continue the operation until the last terrorist is eliminated, they affirmed.
The terrorists responsible for the cowardly attack on the Jaffar Express are in contact with their mastermind in Afghanistan, security sources revealed.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has dispatched rescue teams after reports of intense firing on the Jaffer Express.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed the attack, stating that the nature of the incident is being assessed, with terrorism not being ruled out.
He added that an emergency had been declared at Sibbi Hospital, and ambulances had been dispatched to the scene. Emergency was also declared at Quetta’s Civil Hospital.
The attackers reportedly stopped the train inside a tunnel and took passengers hostage, the majority of them women and children.
Misleading social media campaign
Meanwhile, Indian and anti-national social media platforms have been unusually active following the attack, engaging in misleading, false, and fabricated propaganda, sources said.
Since the attack, Indian media, Indian social media, and anti-national accounts have been continuously spreading disinformation through old videos, AI-generated content, outdated photos, fake WhatsApp messages, and doctored posters, sources said.
An attempt is being made to incite fear among the public through a reprehensible social media campaign, sources said, adding that accounts linked to terrorists are actively supporting Indian media in propagating anti-Pakistan narratives.
Indian media is attempting to mislead people by amplifying the views of self-proclaimed fugitive Baloch leaders based abroad, sources noted.
The public is urged to rely on information from authentic sources rather than falling for misleading and fabricated propaganda on social media, they advised.
Condemnation
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack and prayed for the early recovery of the injured people.
He said, “Beasts who opened fire on innocent passengers deserve no leniency.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the attack on the passenger train. “Terrorists are the biggest threat to Pakistan,” Bilawal said.
“Targeting innocent citizens by terrorists is a cowardly act,” he added.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also condemned the attack on Jaffar Express.
Surge in terrorist attacks
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in terrorist attacks in 2025. According to data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank, terrorist incidents surged by 42% in January compared to the previous month.
The report recorded at least 74 terrorist attacks nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 terrorists.
Another 117 people were injured, including 53 security personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 terrorists.
Balochistan has also seen a rise in attacks, with at least 24 incidents in January alone, claiming 26 lives, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and nine terrorists, the PICSS report stated.
