Viral image of funeral for Pakistani soldiers following Jaffar Express train attack

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search to find the original source.

Multiple users on social media platform X circulated an image since March 12, 2025, of a military funeral with coffins draped in the Pakistani flag, as uniformed personnel and civilians prayed in the background, claiming it was related to the recent Jaffar Express train attack. However, the visual is from February 2011 and unrelated to the Jaffar Express incident.

On March 11, banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists ambushed the Peshawar-bound train carrying 440 passengers, opening fire and taking hostages. Security forces launched a two-day operation, concluding on the evening of March 12. The military confirmed that all 33 terrorists were neutralised, but no hostages were harmed in the final rescue phase. He also said the incident had changed the “rules of the game”.

The operation, which lasted over 36 hours, resulted in the rescue of 354 passengers. However, 26 hostages lost their lives, including 18 military and Frontier Corps personnel, three railway employees, and five civilians. Additionally, five security personnel were martyred. The casualty count could rise, as 37 of the rescued hostages sustained injuries and are being treated at hospitals.

HOW IT STARTED

On March 12, an Afghan user shared an image on X of a funeral with coffins draped in the Pakistani flag, as uniformed personnel and civilians prayed in the background.

The post’s caption said: “Balochistan is not Pakistan. Balochistan Independence Day is coming soon!”

It was viewed by over 325,000 users and re-shared more than 1,500 times.

The same image with similar captions was shared by multiple Indian accounts as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and significant public interest in the aftermath of the Jaffar Express hijack incident.

A reverse image search yielded an article by British news outlet The Independent dated February 11, 2011, carrying the same viral image.

It was titled: “Taliban suicide bomber dressed as schoolboy kills 31 army cadets.”

According to the news story, a teen suicide bomber in a school uniform attacked soldiers during morning exercises at a training camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan on February 10, 2011, killing over 30 troops and wounding 40 others.

The same image from a different angle was also found on stock photography website Alamy with credits to Chinese news outlet Xinhua. The caption for the image, dated February 11, 2011, said: “Army and government officials attend the funeral ceremony of soldiers martyred in northwest Pakistan’s Mardan, on Feb 11, 2011. A teenager suicide bomber dressed in school uniform Thursday attacked army recruits at a parade ground in Mardan, killing at least 31 soldiers, police said.”

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral image shows a military funeral for Pakistani soldiers after the Jaffar Express train hijack incident is false.

The image is actually of a funeral for soldiers martyred in a February 10, 2011, attack in Mardan.

Video of BLA attack on Pakistani soldiers during Jaffar Train incident – FALSE

Separately, on March 15, a video showing an exchange of gunfire was shared by an X user who, based on his past posts and profile picture, appeared to be an Iranian supporter. The video was captioned, “Baloch Liberation Army attacks Pakistan Army” and was viewed by more than 100,000 people. The user also included the hashtags #TrainHijack and #PakistanTrainHijack, linking the video to recent events.

However, the video had the name of the banned Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) group imposed over the video.

A reverse image search conducted to verify the authenticity of the video led to an X post from May 28, 2022, where the same video was shared with the caption: “Be sure to watch this video before using language against your army.”

Another X post even farther back on July 20, 2020, said: “Balochistan Liberation Front, BLF had claimed responsibility of an attack on a convoy of Pakistan Army in district Panjgur, on July 14, 2020, destroying all five military vehicles and neutralising 20 personnel including a ranked officer.”

A keyword search conducted to verify the account yielded news reports from July 14, 2020, on the incident.

As per the reports, three soldiers were martyred and eight others injured when terrorists opened fire on security forces in Balochistan’s Panjgur district.

The militants had carried out the “fire raid” when the security personnel were on routine patrol near Gichak valley in Panjgur’s Kahan area.

Therefore, the claim that the gunfight video was related to the BLA attacking Pakistani forces amid the Jaffar Express incident was false. The video is of an incident from July 2020 and involved the BLF, not the BLA.

Evidence and References

February 11, 2011, The Independent news report:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/taliban-suicide-bomber-dressed-as-schoolboy-kills-31-army-cadets-2211243.html

February 11, 2011, Alamy photograph:
https://www.alamy.com/bildnummer-54897129-datum-11022011-copyright-imagoxinhua-mardan-feb-11-2011-xinhua-army-and-government-officials-attend-the-funeral-ceremony-of-soldiers-martyred-in-northwest-pakistan-s-mardan-on-feb-11-2011-a-teenager-suicide-bomber-dressed-in-school-uniform-thursday-attacked-army-recruits-at-a-parade-ground-in-mardan-killing-at-least-31-soldiers-police-said-xinhuasaeed-ahmad-pakistan-mardan-funeral-publicationxnotxinxchn-gesellschaft-pakistan-kbdig-xsp-2011-quer-o0-beerdigung-trauerfeier-soldat-sarg-selbsmordanschlag-anschlag-opfer-totale-bildnummer-54897129-date-image562703704.html