Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan on Friday claimed that the hijacking of the Jaffar Categorical practice earlier this week was carried out by “terrorists” who had been speaking with “handlers in Afghanistan”, whereas alleging that India was the mastermind behind it.
“We should perceive that on this terrorist incident in Balochistan, and others earlier than, the primary sponsor is japanese neighbour [India],” Lieutenant Basic Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the director common for the navy’s media wing Inter-Companies Public Relations (ISPR), mentioned throughout a information convention in Islamabad.
Chaudhry additionally referred to the media protection carried out by Indian mainstream channels, which relied on movies shared by the Baloch Liberation Military (BLA), the separatist group chargeable for the assault, and accused them of utilizing photos generated by synthetic intelligence or previous incidents.
Throughout the briefing which lasted greater than an hour, Chaudhry, together with Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, provided some particulars of the navy operation — named Operation Inexperienced Bolan — that culminated within the launch of a whole lot of passengers from the practice following a 36-hour standoff that started on March 11.
In keeping with Chaudhry, a complete of 354 passengers had been rescued, whereas 26 passengers and safety officers had been killed. As well as, 33 fighters belonging to the BLA had been additionally killed.
Whereas the navy had earlier mentioned that 21 civilians or safety personnel had been killed, Chaudhry acknowledged that as safety officers cleared the world, extra injured people had been discovered, a few of whom later died.
Of the 26 killed, 18 belonged to the military or paramilitary forces, three had been railway workers members and 5 had been civilian passengers.
‘Aerial Items’ for reconnaissance
Chaudhry mentioned that 4 hours after the practice had departed from Quetta, the BLA attackers intercepted the practice 32km (20 miles) from Sibbi metropolis, simply earlier than it entered a tunnel within the Bolan Cross area, identified for its rugged, mountainous panorama.
“The BLA terrorists intercepted the practice utilizing an improvised explosive gadget. Earlier than that, they started their raid in giant numbers and encountered a paramilitary checkpoint, eliminating three troopers there. As soon as the practice was stopped, they stored the ladies and kids inside whereas taking the boys outdoors as hostages,” he mentioned.
“As quickly because the incident occurred, we activated our response groups and began to observe the scenario whereas sustaining an applicable distance,” Chaudhry mentioned.
Whereas Chaudhry didn’t disclose specifics, visible proof from the briefing indicated that the Pakistani navy relied closely on drones to observe the scenario.
Intelligence sources additionally confirmed that reconnaissance groups and aerial models had been deployed inside an hour of the practice being stopped.
The final mentioned that the BLA segregated passengers primarily based on ethnicity, a proven fact that was confirmed to Al Jazeera by survivors, as nicely.
“They divided folks into smaller teams primarily based on ethnicity. Whereas numerous BLA fighters moved away to their hideouts within the mountain, a smaller group remained with the hostages,” he mentioned. Most of the fighters who remained on the web site “had been suicide bombers,” he added.
Chaudhry acknowledged that intelligence monitoring revealed the abductors had been utilizing walkie-talkies to allegedly talk with their “handlers in Afghanistan.”
How did the operation unfold?
The navy mentioned that on the evening of March 11, greater than eight hours after the hijacking, a gaggle of ladies, youngsters, and aged passengers had been launched, who walked to the closest practice station, 6km (4 miles) away.
Intelligence monitoring by safety companies on the time prompt the potential presence of suicide bombers among the many hostages. On the morning of March 12, Chaudhry mentioned, navy snipers killed a number of BLA fighters, enabling some hostages to flee amid the chaos.
The principle floor operation was then ready, to be led by the Zarrar Firm, an elite unit of the Military’s Particular Companies Group (SSG), which specialises in operations towards armed teams.
“It’s a extremely skilled unit uniquely geared up for counterterrorism conditions, together with hostage crises. The corporate commander is a major-ranked officer,” an intelligence supply mentioned.
Exhibiting a video clip, Chaudhry famous that because the operation commenced, many hostages sitting outdoors the practice ran for security.
“By noon on March 12, Zarrar Firm had accomplished its situational evaluation. Monitoring BLA communications revealed potential suicide bombers had been stationed close to the hostages. They had been eradicated first, after which the troops made their manner contained in the practice,” the final added.
“It demonstrates the professionalism and competence of our troops that there was not a single hostage casualty through the rescue operation,” he mentioned.
All of the fighters had been killed. Safety officers informed Al Jazeera that they might not seize anybody alive because of the nature of the operation.
“As a matter of coverage, capturing insurgents stays essential to our doctrine, however a hostage scenario presents little room for that. If you wish to rescue the hostages, actions have to be exact and surgical,” a safety official mentioned, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media.
How have India and Afghanistan responded?
Following the information convention, neither India nor Afghanistan issued a right away response.
Nevertheless, earlier on Friday, officers from each international locations strongly reacted to Pakistan’s Ministry of International Affairs assertion on Thursday, which additionally blamed each nations.
“India has been concerned in terrorism in Pakistan. Within the assault on Jaffar Categorical, the terrorists had been involved with their handlers and ring leaders in Afghanistan,” Pakistan’s International Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan mentioned throughout his weekly information briefing in Islamabad yesterday.
Khan added that intercepted communications confirmed hyperlinks between the attackers and Afghanistan.
“The terrorists have protected havens in Afghanistan, and Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan interim authorities to stop teams just like the BLA from utilizing its soil for terrorism,” he mentioned.
The Indian authorities categorically rejected Pakistan’s allegations.
“We reject the baseless accusations made by Pakistan. The entire world is aware of the place the epicentre of world terrorism is. Pakistan ought to look inside itself as an alternative of blaming others for its inside issues and failures,” Indian Ministry of International Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned in an announcement on Friday.
Afghanistan additionally denied any connection between the attackers and its territory.
“Pakistan ought to deal with its safety and resolving its inside points as an alternative of creating irresponsible statements,” an announcement from Kabul learn.
The Taliban-led authorities’s Ministry of International Affairs spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi additionally urged Pakistan on social media to “deal with resolving its safety and inside points as an alternative of creating such irresponsible feedback”.
Balkhi additionally claimed that no BLA members had been current in Afghanistan and denied any connection between the group and Afghanistan.
Final month, a United Nations report acknowledged that the Afghan Taliban, in energy since August 2021, offers assist to the Pakistan Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP), which has carried out a number of assaults in Pakistan.
It additional mentioned that the BLA reportedly has ties with each the Pakistan Taliban and the ISIL affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP), indicating a broader convergence of armed teams with distinct, however intersecting agendas.
