Thirty-six hours following a bold

militant attack in Pakistan

, the military announced that the deadly siege on a passenger train has ended in the volatile southwestern region.
Military authorities confirmed neutralising 33 Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants who had claimed responsibility. "All present terrorists there have been sent to hell and their total number was 33," stated Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry during an interview with Dunya News anchor Kamran Shahid.
How the attack unfolded
The militants opened fire and forced the train to halt in Balochistan's rugged and isolated mountains.

Visuals showed that militants detonated an explosive on the railway tracks, forcing the Jaffar Express to come to a sudden halt. The train was carrying over 400 passengers.

Whilst the army reported successful rescue, the BLA contested this, claiming to still hold over 100 hostages and reporting numerous casualties.
The driver was injured in the attack and later succumbed to injuries.
The hijacking took place in an area with little or no cell or internet service, making it difficult to gather independent information.
'Gunmen went in and shot them all'
According to Noman Ahmed, who was inside Jaffar express, passengers heard a loud blast about 100 miles from Quetta.
"When we heard the blast, we dropped to the floor and locked the carriage door, hoping to escape the gunfire," Ahmed told the New York Times.
He further added that militants appeared after some time and ordered everyone to step outside and threatened to blow the carriage with rocket launcher.
BLA militants separated women and the elderly from the rest of the passengers, who were forced to move toward a nearby hillside.

"They ordered them to come out. When they didn't, the gunmen went in and shot them all. When the militants entered the train, we ran. We ran nearly 5 miles before reaching a paramilitary checkpoint, where soldiers opened fire on the militants chasing us," Ahmed said .
"I escaped with my family's prayers. I thank God but grieve for those innocent lives lost," he added.

Another passenger on the train, Muhammad Ashraf, said that after the militants had taken all of the passengers hostage, they later released parties traveling with women and children.
Ashraf was among a group of 80 passengers who were freed Tuesday night. He said he had reached a railway station after walking for hours along the tracks.
He also recounted harrowing scenes on the train. "When the train was attacked, everyone threw themselves to the floor, using luggage and sacks to shield themselves from the bullets," Ashraf said by phone after reaching Quetta. "Screams were echoing everywhere."
How was the rescue operation carried out
Providing the details of the operation, Lt Gen Sharif said, "The rescue operation began immediately, with participation from the Army, Air Force, Frontier Corps, and Special Services Group commandos."
"The rescue operation continued periodically, and in the final clearance operation in the evening, all remaining hostages were secured. Since the terrorists were using passengers as human shields, the operation was conducted with extreme precision and caution," he added.
The terrorists maintained communication with their facilitators and masterminds in Afghanistan through satellite phones, indicating a foreign connection, officials revealed.
The operation took time to complete the operation as the militants were using hostages as human shields.
'Deeply shocked'
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reacted to the incident and expressed condolences towards those who got killed.
"Spoke with Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti who briefed me on the latest developments in the heinous terrorist attack on Jaffar Express. The entire nation is deeply shocked by this dastardly act and saddened by the loss of innocent lives—such cowardly acts will not shake Pakistan’s resolve for peace," he said.
"I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs. May Allah grant them the highest ranks in Jannah and bless those injured with a swift recovery. Dozens of the terrorists have been sent to hell," he added.
Past attacks
The Jaffar Express has been a frequent target of BLA attacks as many lower-ranking military personnel and law enforcement officers use it to travel to their hometowns, mostly in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province.
Baloch separatist groups say that Punjab has an unfair dominance in the central government and the military, fueling tensions in Balochistan.
In November, BLA targeted the train as a suicide bombing at Quetta's busy railway station. The blast killed at least 25 people, including security personnel.
The Jaffar Express service had resumed in October after a two-month suspension. In August, BLA militants had blown up sections of the railway tracks, including a colonial-era bridge.
In the same area, BLA militants have forcibly removed passengers from buses and killed them after identifying them as being from Punjab. Just last month, seven laborers were killed in such an attack.