Pakistani Sources Say Mastermind Of Jaffer Express Attack Killed In Helmand

Pakistani media reported on Saturday that Gul Rahman, the alleged mastermind of the Jaffer Express train attack in Quetta, was killed in Afghanistan's Helmand province. Security sources identified him as an operational commander of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

According to reports, Rahman was killed on September 17 during a covert operation. A pro-Pakistan strategy account on X claimed a special operations team eliminated him using assault rifles. The account added that no civilian casualties were recorded. Neither the Taliban nor Baloch separatists have confirmed his death.

Rahman had played a key role in the March 2023 attack on the Jaffer Express, which carried over 440 passengers from Quetta to Rawalpindi. Militants struck the train in Bolan Pass, killing at least 26 people, including Pakistani soldiers, and injuring dozens more. The assault lasted nearly 24 hours, with insurgents killing 20 soldiers and taking 182 hostages.

The Pakistani military later announced that 33 insurgents were killed in the rescue operations. Officials also accused Rahman and his network of targeting projects linked to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor. Islamabad further alleged that the attackers maintained communication with accomplices inside Afghanistan and accused India of backing the strike.

Former Balochistan information minister Jan Achakzai praised the reported operation against Rahman, calling it the work of“unsung heroes” behind enemy lines. Pakistani authorities say Rahman was a senior commander of the BLA's Majeed Brigade, which the United States recently designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

For years, Pakistan has accused both the BLA and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan of maintaining safe havens inside Afghanistan and using them to plan cross-border attacks. The Taliban administration in Kabul, however, has repeatedly denied such allegations.

The reported killing of Rahman highlights the continuing insurgency problem in the region and Islamabad's determination to dismantle militant groups threatening its security. Yet without tangible cooperation from authorities, cross-border tensions and mistrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan are likely to persist.

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