DG ISPR addresses press conference on Jaffar Express attack

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, is addressing a press conference to provide details on the Jaffar Express hijacking and the clearance operation that followed. The military spokesperson is flanked by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti. The ordeal began on Tuesday when separatist militants ambushed the Jaffar Express en route from Quetta to Peshawar, blowing up the railway track and attacking the train with rockets. Security forces stormed the hijacked Jaffar Express on Wednesday, bringing a dramatic end to a 30-hour siege in the rugged Bolan area of Balochistan, killing all 33 terrorists, while successfully rescuing more than 300 passengers. In a presser today, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti strongly condemned the attack on the Jaffar Express, describing it as an act of terrorism targeting unarmed civilians. He stated that the perpetrators of the attack were purely evil forces and should be referred to as terrorists. During the press conference, DG ISPR provided additional information about the attack. He revealed that the terrorists had deliberately selected a remote and challenging location for the attack. Lt Gen Chaudhry explained that the terrain was extremely difficult and there were no mobile signals in the area, making access very challenging. He also addressed the role of the Indian media, accusing it of spreading false information about the attack. "Indian media outlets broadcast fake footage to fuel propaganda," he added. A day after the operation, the Foreign Office said that there was no doubt the attack was linked to Afghanistan. Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told the media that the Afghan soil had been used against Pakistan and the latest terrorist attack against Jaffar Express near Sibi in Balochistan was also orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from abroad. "Terrorists were in direct communications with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident," he said. The Foreign Office statement came after the army also officially confirmed the Afghan link to the brazen train hijacking. The spokesperson said Pakistan had repeatedly asked the interim Afghan government to deny the use of its soil for terrorist groups like BLA for their attacks against Pakistan.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/3pvB52N