March 13 (UPI) -- Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif went to Balochistan province Thursday to meet with 300 survivors and the troops who rescued them after a Baloch Liberation Army train attack that began Tuesday.
During the BLA attack and survivor rescue 21 civilians and four Pakistani soldiers were killed. Thirty-three BLA fighters were killed as troops rescued train passengers who had been taken hostage.
According to a Pakistan military statement "confirmed intelligence" indicated the train attack was "orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from Afghanistan, who were in direct communication with the terrorists throughout the incident."
Pakistan's Army said there were about 440 passengers on the attacked train and at least 100 of them were security forces.
Security officials believe that some of the BLA gunmen may have escaped from the train into the surrounding mountains taking some of the train passengers with them.
The Pakistani military is searching for passengers who might have escaped and/or were taken from the train by the attackers.
The BLA blew up the train tracks and attacked as the train entered a tunnel Tuesday, according to Pakistan authorities.
But a railway police officer onboard the train when it was attacked contradicted that account.
He told the BBC the train was in an open area and not in the tunnel when it was hit by the BLA.
That officer described fighting together with other officers against the BLA until their ammunition ran out.
"They [the BLA] were moving in front of us on the mountain and they were much more numerous than us, in the hundreds," the officer said speaking on condition of anonymity.
The passengers became hostages as the BLA threatened to kill them while demanding that Pakistan release people the BLA called political prisoners and activists.
Pakistan's military freed 190 of the hostages Wednesday.
The BLA is considered a terrorist group by Pakistan. It is using armed struggle to fight for Balochistan independence.
Hundreds of Pakistani troops and some helicopters were used in the battle to free the hostages. The train hijacking and rescue operation lasted for over 30 hours.