A military operation to free hundreds of hostages taken during a train hijacking in southwest Pakistan has ended with dozens killed, according to an army spokesperson.

Pakistan’s security forces announced late Wednesday that they had rescued around 190 people held captive by militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The attackers had bombed a railway line and ambushed the Jaffar Express while it traveled through a tunnel in the mountainous region of Balochistan on Tuesday afternoon.

Officials reported that 33 militants and 21 hostages were killed as military and security personnel launched an air and ground assault to regain control. The operation was hindered by the rugged terrain, which complicated communication and mobilization efforts.

The BLA had threatened to execute hostages unless authorities met its demand for the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing persons it claims were abducted by the military. On Wednesday night, the group declared in a statement that it had killed 50 hostages due to Pakistan’s “failure to engage in a serious prisoner exchange.”

According to local reports, the BLA positioned suicide bombers wearing explosive vests near some hostages, making the rescue even more difficult. “The terrorists are using innocent people as human shields,” an official told Radio Pakistan.

Survivors recall horror of the attack

Yousaf Bashir, one of the passengers who was freed, described the terrifying moment the train was ambushed. “There was a huge blast. Everyone was scared, and people were screaming and crying loudly. We laid down during the blasts. Everyone laid down in the train as there was firing too.”

After the gunfire stopped, militants boarded the train and ordered passengers to disembark or be killed. “They freed my children, my wife, and me too. They warned us not to look back and kept walking. I did not see how many people there were left behind,” Bashir recounted.

Those allowed to leave the train had to trek through mountainous terrain for over seven hours to reach safety.

In a statement sent to The Guardian, the BLA described the attack as “a direct response to Pakistan’s decades-long colonial occupation of Balochistan and the relentless war crimes committed against the Baloch people.”

Balochistan, a vast and underdeveloped region bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the center of a separatist insurgency. Rebels accuse the Pakistani state and military of exploiting the region while neglecting its development.

“The Bolan operation is a tactical response to these atrocities, intended to demonstrate that the occupying forces are not invincible and that their continued presence in Balochistan will be met with unwavering resistance,” the BLA stated.

The BLA has intensified its attacks in recent years and has been responsible for some of Pakistan’s deadliest terrorist incidents.

Security analyst Zahid Hussain called the train hijacking “unprecedented” and warned that it highlights the worsening security crisis in Balochistan. “This attack shows the situation in Balochistan has become very challenging for the military. They have failed to contain the insurgency, and militants are recruiting large numbers to carry out such attacks.”