'Heard explosion, firing, they asked families to leave': Man recounts moments of Pakistan train hijack (WATCH)

A male passenger who was aboard the Jaffar Express when separatist militants attacked the passenger train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar has revealed that Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) did not take women, children, or elderly civilians hostage. The account, shared in an interview with Pakistani journalist Bushra Siddiqui, is seen in contrast with Pakistan military's claims of a high-stakes rescue operation.

Detailing the harrowing moments of the attack, the man said, "We left the platform from Quetta at 9 AM… then we heard an explosion. We hid to save ourselves. There was firing… They then entered our coaches and told us, ‘We won’t do anything to you.’ And they didn’t."

The man recalled attackers methodically deboarded passengers, asking if they had families and instructing them to move forward unharmed. "We don’t know what happened in the other coaches," he added.

Pakistan security sources on Wednesday said they had freed 155 hostages from around 450 passengers while killing 27 militants as a Pakistan train siege in restive Balochistan province entered a second day, AFP reported.

"Security forces have safely rescued 155 passengers... 27 terrorists have been eliminated," a security source said, adding the operation was still "ongoing".

Jaffar Express heading from Quetta to Peshawar was attacked by a group of "terrorists", leaving the driver with serious injuries in Balochistan's Bolan Pass and targeting innocent civilians. The terrorists stopped the train in a tunnel and held the passengers, including women and children, captive.

An operation against the "terrorists" is being conducted with extreme caution due to the difficult terrain and the risk to the hostages' lives. Emergency was declared in all hospitals in Sibbi after the incident happened in Balochistan, ARY News reported.

Also read: Pakistan train hijack: 155 hostages freed, 27 militants killed as rescue ops continue, says security sources