Pakistan army says operation against militants who hijacked train has ended

Plain clothes security force perosnnel, who were rescued from a train after it was attacked by separatist militants, get into a vehcile following their arrival at a railway station in Mach, Balochistan, Pakistan, March 12, 2025. REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A military operation against militants who hijacked a train carrying hundreds of passengers in southwest Pakistan has ended, a spokesman for the army said late on Wednesday.

Some 33 militants and 21 hostages were killed during the operation, the spokesman said in a television broadcast.

Dozens of separatist Balochi militants blew up a railway track and lobbed rockets on Tuesday at the Jaffar Express, carrying more than 400 passengers, authorities said previously. Some of the militants wore suicide vests and were seated among the hostages, the government said, complicating rescue efforts.

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Gareth Jones)