The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) announced on Friday that it had executed all 214 Pakistani military hostages taken during the seizure of the Jaffar Express train. The group accused the Pakistani state of ignoring its demands and refusing to engage in serious negotiations for the hostages’ release.
In a statement released to the media, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the group had given the Pakistani army a 48-hour ultimatum to negotiate a prisoner exchange. However, he claimed that Pakistan, displaying “traditional stubbornness and military arrogance,” avoided meaningful dialogue and failed to “acknowledge the situation on the ground.”
“As a result of this stubbornness, all 214 hostages have been executed,”
Mr. Baloch said, adding that the group has “always acted in accordance with the principles of war and international law.” He criticized the Pakistani government for “preferring to use its personnel as fuel for war rather than saving their lives through negotiation.”
The BLA statement also paid tribute to 12 BLA fighters who died in the ongoing battle, including five suicide attackers—‘Fidayeen’—from the group’s Majeed Brigade. According to the BLA, these fighters inflicted a “devastating and unforgettable defeat” on the Pakistani military.
“Fidayeen locked some hostage military personnel in special bogies and took up positions, while other freedom fighters managed to move the remaining hostages to a safe location,”
Mr. Baloch explained.
“When the Zarar Company of Pakistani SSG commandos arrived to rescue the hostages locked in the bogies of the Jaffar Express, the Fidayeen surrounded and attacked them fiercely.”
“This battle lasted several hours,” said Mr. Baloch. “The SSG commandos suffered heavy casualties, while the hostages were executed during the intense fighting. The Fidayeen followed their mission philosophy of fighting until the ‘last bullet,’ ultimately embracing martyrdom by firing the final bullet upon themselves.”
Mr. Baloch further criticized the Pakistani military for allegedly displaying the bodies of the ‘Fidayeen’ “as a success,” arguing that their mission was “never to return alive” but to “fight until the last bullet.”
He also refuted Pakistani claims of having rescued hostages, stating that those presented by Pakistani authorities as “rescued” were “actually released by the BLA on the first day” and granted “safe passage” under “the rules of war.”
The BLA spokesperson further said that intense clashes continue in Bolan, with Baloch fighters ambushing Pakistani forces in multiple areas. He claimed that Pakistani troops were struggling to retrieve the bodies of their fallen personnel due to ongoing clashes.
“With each passing moment, the superiority of the BLA on the battlefield is becoming increasingly clear,”
he said, adding that more details of what the group calls “Operation Darra-e-Bolan” will be released “after the operation is completed.”
“The battle is still ongoing,” he concluded.