- UNSC offers “deepest sympathy, condolences” over train hijacking.
- Urges countries to cooperate actively with Islamabad in this regard.
- Calls for culprits behind acts of terrorism to be brought to justice.
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council (UNSC) has strongly condemned the “heinous and cowardly” attack carried out by the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists on the Jaffar Express, The News reported on Saturday.
Calling for the culprits to be brought to justice, the statement issued by the 15-member Council President for March Denmark’s Christina Markus Lassen expressed “deepest sympathy and condolences” to and urged all countries to cooperate actively with Islamabad in this regard.
The UN body’s condemnation came against the backdrop of Tuesday’s attack on the Jaffar Express by BLA militants who blew up train tracks and held over 440 passengers hostage in a day-long standoff with security services in a remote mountain pass in the Bolan district.
The military, after clearing the train and rescuing hostages, said it killed 33 attackers. Before the operation began, terrorists had martyred 26 passengers, while four security personnel were martyred during the operation.
Giving a breakdown of the casualties in the incident, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that 26 martyred train passengers included 18 security personnel from the army and the FC, three officials from Pakistan Railways and other departments and five civilians.
He further said that the death toll from the terror attack could rise further as 37 out of the 354 passengers were injured.
The military’s spokesperson, during a press briefing on Friday, termed India the main sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan and slammed the media warfare led by Indian media began in support of the terrorists.
Fake videos were created by using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread malicious propaganda regarding the Jaffar Express attack on social media platforms, said Lt Gen Chaudhry.
Meanwhile, expanding on the attack, the UNSC said that ther reprehensible act of terrorism resulted in the grievous loss of multiple Pakistani nationals.
“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” read the statement which further reiterated that any acts of terrorism were criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.
“They [members] reaffirmed the need for all the states to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts,” the statement concluded.
