Quetta: Terrorists wearing suicide jackets in the attack on the Jaffer Express have taken women and children hostage using them as human shield , making the rescue effort increasingly difficult, security sources said on Wednesday.
The security forces successfully freed at least 190 hostages and eliminated 30 terrorists, determined to continue the operation until the last militant is defeated.
As per the security sources, the suicide bombers are holding women and children at three different locations, using them as human shields.
The presence of hostages has forced security forces to exercise extreme caution in their operations, the sources mentioned.
Meanwhile, 37 injured have been evacuated for medical treatment.
The situation remains tense as efforts to neutralise the threat are ongoing.
The perpetrators bombed the railway track before storming the train and opened fire on the locomotive, injuring the driver. The train, stopped just before a tunnel, was hijacked in a remote, mountainous region.
After security forces launched the operation on Tuesday, the militants split into small groups, security sources said.
Navigating the difficult terrain, security forces cordoned off the area upon receiving inforamation of the attack, they said, adding that despite the challenging route, forces reached the scene in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district of Balochistan to initiate the operation.
The sources further revealed that the attackers were using satellite phones to communicate with international handlers, including a mastermind in Afghanistan.
