Islamabad, March 13 -- More than 340 train passengers taken hostage by a militant group were freed on March 12 by security forces after a 30-hour siege, an army official told AFP, confirming that militants shot 27 off-duty soldiers.

"346 hostages were freed and over 30 terrorists were killed during the operation," an army official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The 27 slain soldiers had been travelling on the train as passengers, the army official said. Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif told Dunya News TV that security forces killed all 33 militants present at the scene.

The Jaffar Express, carrying around 500 passengers in nine coaches, was targeted on March 11 with explosives, ...