Mastermind of Jaffar Express hijacking killed | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

The mastermind behind a daring passenger train hijacking in Balochistan has been killed under mysterious circumstances in Afghanistan, reinforcing Pakistan’s claims that terrorist groups of different hues have formed a nexus across the border where they maintain safe havens.

Gul Rahman, aka Ustad Mureed, affiliated with the Majeed Brigade, the suicide squad of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), had orchestrated the hijacking of the Jaffar Express, which was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar on March 11. Indian media and social media reports say Gul was killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand province on September 17, 2025.

The BLA and other Baloch terrorist groups have been labeled “Fitna al-Hindustan” by Pakistani officials to highlight India’s support for these proxies aimed at destabilising Balochistan.

Gul was reportedly a trainer and operational commander of the Majeed Brigade, which the United States has also designated as a foreign terrorist organisation. He was involved in attacks targeting Pakistani security forces, Chinese nationals, civilians, and state institutions.

The Majeed Brigade has claimed responsibility for attacks on the Jaffar Express, the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, and the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar. It was also behind the Khuzdar school bus bombing, the Karachi Confucius Institute suicide blast, the Pakistan Stock Exchange attack, and the Quetta Railway Station bombing.

Pakistan and China have urged the United Nations to place the group on its terrorism watch-list. “The killing of this terrorist is further proof that Afghan soil continues to be used for launching terrorism against Pakistan,” said an official source.

The Jaffar Express train, carrying at least 380 passengers, was hijacked on March 11. The attackers detonated explosives in tunnels and on the tracks before opening fire, bringing the train to a halt in a mountainous area of Sibi district, Balochistan, which was difficult for security forces to access.

From March 11 to 12, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Green Bolan to rescue the train. The operation freed 354 hostages and killed 33 BLA terrorists.