OIC expresses solidarity with Pakistan after train attack

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the militant attack on a passenger train in Pakistan's Balochistan province, which resulted in death of over 30 people earlier this week. The OIC expressed its condolences to the victims' families and extended solidarity to both the Pakistani people and government.

On Tuesday, militants seized control of the Jaffar Express in a remote mountain pass in Balochistan, blowing up the train tracks and holding passengers hostage in a day-long standoff. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the BLA alleged that its fighters had escaped with 214 hostages, later executing all of them, though it provided no evidence to support this claim.

According to Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistani security forces killed 33 insurgents, rescued 354 hostages, and ended the siege the following day. The final toll revealed that 23 soldiers, three railway employees, and five passengers had died in the attack.

OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims in a statement released on X. He reaffirmed the OIC's firm rejection of all forms of terrorism and emphasized the organization's support for Pakistan in its ongoing battle against terrorism.

Pakistan is grappling with two major insurgencies: one driven by religiously motivated groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, and the other by ethnic Baloch separatists in Balochistan. The BLA is the largest and most powerful of several Baloch insurgent factions that have fought for decades for the independence of the resource-rich province, which hosts major China-backed projects, including a port and valuable gold and copper mines.

Lt. Gen. Chaudhry stated on Friday that Pakistan had evidence suggesting that India and Afghanistan had supported the insurgents, a claim previously made by the Pakistani foreign ministry following Tuesday's attack. Both countries have denied these allegations.