At least 25 bodies, including those of 21 hostages, have been recovered from the scene of a deadly train siege in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, where separatist militants launched a brutal attack.
The bodies were retrieved on Thursday morning as preparations began for the first funerals.
The siege, which lasted two days, saw security forces rescue over 340 passengers after militants bombed a railway track in the remote, mountainous region before storming a train carrying approximately 450 people.
The attack was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group that accuses external forces of exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources.
While the Pakistani military reported that “21 innocent hostages” were executed by the attackers, the operation also claimed the lives of four soldiers.
However, conflicting figures emerged, with one military official suggesting that as many as 28 people had been killed, including 27 off-duty soldiers who were among those taken hostage.
A railway official confirmed that the bodies of 25 victims were transported by train to the nearby town of Mach.
Among the deceased were 19 military personnel, a police officer, and a railway official, while four bodies remained unidentified. A senior military official confirmed these details.
Eyewitness accounts from survivors painted a harrowing picture of the attack. Some passengers who managed to escape described trekking through rugged mountains for hours in search of safety.
Muhammad Naveed, a survivor, recalled how the militants separated women and elderly passengers before executing others.
“They told us to come outside, saying we would not be harmed. When around 185 people had stepped out, they chose individuals and shot them dead,” he said.
Babar Masih, a Christian labourer who fled with his family, described how their women pleaded for their lives. “They let us go, telling us not to look back. As we ran, I saw many others running for their lives,” he said.
The first funerals were set to take place on Thursday evening, following the breaking of the fast during Ramadan.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Quetta to meet security officials.
“The Prime Minister expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of security personnel and train passengers during the operation,” his office said in a statement.
The BLA released a video showing the moment they bombed the railway track before storming the train.
The region has seen a surge in separatist attacks in recent years, mainly targeting security forces and non-local ethnic groups.
Balochistan, despite its vast natural wealth, remains one of Pakistan’s poorest regions and has been the centre of a decades-long insurgency.
According to the independent Centre for Research and Security Studies, militant violence in the province escalated last year compared to 2023.
