The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on Thursday rejected the Pakistani military's statement that all Baloch insurgents involved in the Jaffar Express hijacking had been killed. The insurgents insisted that intense fighting was still ongoing, and Pakistani forces were facing heavy casualties.

"The ground reality is that the battle continues on multiple fronts, and the enemy (Pakistani military) is suffering heavy casualties and military losses," the BLA said in a statement. "The occupying army has neither achieved victory on the battlefield nor managed to save its hostage personnel," said the outfit, which is fighting for the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan. On Tuesday, Baloch insurgents attacked the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express, which was carrying 425 passengers in nine coaches. The train was passing through the Mashkaf tunnel near the mountainous regions of Gudalar and Piru Kunri when the attack occurred. The train had started its journey from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.

On Wednesday, a Pakistani Army spokesperson confirmed that the operation to rescue hostages from the hijacked train had concluded, resulting in the deaths of all 33 militants involved. Unfortunately, 21 passengers and four Pakistani Army personnel also lost their lives during the operation. “The armed forces successfully concluded the operation on (Wednesday) evening by killing all terrorists and rescuing all passengers safely,” Lt. Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said. “Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children. The final operation was carried out with great care,” he said, adding 440 people had been on board and security forces had cleared the train "bogey to bogey". 

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) accused the Pakistani Army of spreading false information to mislead the public. The BLA stated that soldiers claimed to have been "rescued" were actually released by the group as part of its commitment to war ethics and international standards. The BLA also alleged that after being unsuccessful in defeating its fighters in battle, the Pakistani military started targeting Baloch civilians. It further stated that it had suggested exchanging prisoners but that Pakistan had abandoned its troops and refused to engage in talks. "Now that the state has abandoned its hostages to die, it will also bear responsibility for their deaths," it added. 

The BLA also urged Pakistan to permit independent reporters to travel to areas of combat in order to confirm its claims of triumph. "If the occupying army truly claims victory, then it should allow independent journalists and impartial sources access to the war-torn areas so that the world can witness the real losses suffered by the Pakistani army," stated the statement. The group stated that the BLA was committed to fighting "until it achieved its objectives" and that the conflict had gotten out of control of the Pakistani government.