Dozens of people rescued from a train hijacked by separatist terrorists in southwest Pakistan arrived on Thursday in the city of Quetta, hours after security forces killed all 33 attackers to end a day-long standoff.
Terrorists blew up the rail tracks and opened fire on the Jaffar Express as it made its way to Peshawar in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Quetta, the capital of mineral-rich Balochistan province, taking several passengers hostage.
Armed insurgent group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the largest of the region's armed ethnic groups battling the government, claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed 21 hostages and four security troops.
"The terrorists eventually breached the train by smashing windows, but they mistakenly believed we were dead and retreated," said train driver Amjad, who dived for cover to the engine floor as soon as the terrorists opened fire on it.