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‘Checked IDs, shot soldiers’: Pakistan train hijack survivors recount horror
A man said people hid under seats as militants separated men and women. He and his family were allowed to leave after he mentioned being a heart patient.
Freed hostages from a train hijack in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday recounted walking for hours through tough mountain terrain to escape, leaving behind separated relatives.
The ordeal began when militants, fighting for Balochistan’s independence, blew up a railway track in a remote part of the region, halting the train and taking over 450 passengers hostage.
“I can’t find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying,” AFP quoted Muhammad Bilal as saying.
Bilal was on the Jafar Express with his mother when the train was caught in an explosive attack, leaving at least three people dead.
More than 100 hostages have been released, but the train is still under the control of militants.
“I heard an explosion, followed by gunshots, as militants stormed the train,” Allahditta, a passenger, told AFP at the Mach train station, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to treat the injured.
“People began hiding under the seats in panic. The militants separated the men from the women. They allowed me and my family to go because I told them I’m a heart patient,” the 49-year-old added.
“We walked for a long time through the mountains to reach the nearest station. I haven’t eaten since I began fasting this morning, but I still can’t bring myself to eat,” Allahditta added, in reference to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
A passenger recounted how gunmen went through identity cards to identify those from outside the province, resembling recent attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has taken responsibility for the siege.
“They came and checked IDs and service cards and shot two soldiers in front of me and took the other four to, I don’t know where,” said one passenger who asked not to be named, after walking four hours to the nearest train station.
“They checked IDs, and those who were Punjabis were taken away by the terrorists,” he added.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) alleges that the region’s natural resources are being exploited by outsiders and has escalated attacks on Pakistanis from other regions in response.
Survivors made their way through rugged terrain on Tuesday night to reach the nearest train station, eventually travelling to Mach, roughly 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the Iran border.
The first trains carrying the survivors arrived later in the evening, greeted by paramilitary forces and medical personnel.
“I am treating two (police) officers; one was shot five times, while the other was wounded in his knee,” said paramedic Qazim Farooq.
With AFP inputs
