The Indus Examiner

Quetta: In a tragic and shocking attack on the Jaffar Express, passengers have shared horrifying accounts of the terrifying ordeal they faced. The attack, which began with a massive explosion, left many passengers in fear for their lives as armed assailants stormed the train.

Eyewitness Accounts
Mushtaq Muhammad, a passenger from coach number three, recounted that the assault started with a “very loud explosion,” causing panic among travelers. Ishaq Noor, who was traveling with his wife and two children in coach number seven, described how the blast was so powerful that windows and doors rattled, and his child fell to the ground due to the shockwave.

“After the explosion, heavy gunfire erupted and continued for nearly an hour. It was a scene that I will never be able to erase from my memory,” Mushtaq said. He further explained how passengers remained frozen in fear, unable to breathe properly, dreading what might come next.

Ishaq Noor revealed that, seeing bullets hit the train, he and his wife shielded their children beneath them to protect them from potential gunfire. “We thought, if a bullet comes, let it hit us, but our children must survive,” he said.

Armed Assailants Enter Coaches
As the gunfire ceased, armed militants entered the train, checking passengers’ identification cards. “They told us they would not harm civilians, women, elderly people, or Baloch passengers,” Mushtaq recalled. The attackers were speaking in Balochi, and their leader repeatedly instructed them to focus on security personnel.

Survivors reported that at least eleven people were taken off the train after being identified as security personnel. One passenger tried to resist but was beaten and forcibly removed. Soon after, gunshots were heard outside the train.

Release of Certain Passengers
Later in the evening, the militants announced that they were letting go of women, children, the elderly, and Baloch passengers. Ishaq Noor mentioned that he was initially denied release but was eventually freed after stating that he was a resident of Turbat and was traveling with his family.

A Long Journey to Safety
Muhammad Ashraf, another passenger who was traveling to Lahore, described the ordeal of reaching safety. He and many others, including women, elderly passengers, and children, had to walk three to three and a half hours to reach Paneer Station. Many travelers had to abandon their belongings in order to survive. “We had to carry elderly passengers on our shoulders as we struggled to reach safety,” Ashraf recounted. “The scene was terrifying; it felt like the end of the world.”

Ashraf estimated that around 200-250 passengers were taken away by the attackers, who themselves numbered about 100-125. Another survivor, Bashir, who was traveling to Bahawalpur with his family, confirmed that the assailants ordered them to disembark but did not harm them. “They told us not to look back as we made our way to Paneer Station,” he said.

This horrific attack has raised serious concerns about railway security, with passengers questioning the authorities on how such an incident could have taken place without immediate intervention. The incident highlights the urgent need for improved security measures to prevent future tragedies.