The Taliban government in Kabul on Thursday (March 13) turned down Pakistan’s allegation that the militants from Afghanistan were responsible for the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan. The attack by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) stranded hundreds of passengers hostage in the Bolan region. The train was going from Quetta to Bolan and had some staff members of Pakistan’s armed forces onboard, including police and army officials.
Following the attack, Pakistani authorities stated that planners of the attack had communication with handlers inside Afghanistan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan forcefully dismissed the charges.
“We denounce the baseless statement of the Pakistani military ascribing the Balochistan train attack to Afghanistan. We ask Pakistan to focus on its domestic security issues rather than issuing irresponsible statements,” Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said.
The Pakistan Army announced on Wednesday that security forces had successfully concluded a bid to liberate the hostages from the hijacked train. All 33 militants were neutralized, and 21 passengers and four Pakistani troops died, the military officials added.
However, the BLA dismissed as false Pakistan’s claim that its operation had been a success and asserted that heavy fighting was still on and Pakistani forces were suffering heavy casualties. “The fight continues on multiple fronts, and the enemy has failed to win the battle or recover its men,” the group said.
The BLA, established in 2000, wants to create an independent Greater Balochistan. The BLA has been branded as a terror organization by a few Western countries, including the US and UK, due to its insurgency against the Pakistani state.
