Pakistan train attacked in Balochistan, militant group claims over 100 hostages
PAKISTAN,MAR 11 : Separatist militants in Pakistan’s Balochistan province hijacked a passenger train carrying around 400 passengers on Tuesday after opening fire, news agency Reuters reported. The militants issued a statement claiming that they had taken control of the train after derailing it and said six military personnel were killed. Over 100 passengers, including security personnel, have been taken hostage, they said.
The Baloch officials or the railways are yet to confirm the casualties and the status of the hostages.
The Jaffar Express was travelling from Quetta in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it came under fire, railway officials told Reuters.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group seeking autonomy for the region, claimed that the hostages they took are Pakistani military personnel and members of other security agencies.
“Amongst the hostages are active-duty personnel from the Pakistani military, police, Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF), and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)–all of whom were travelling to Punjab on leave,” the statement said.
The militants claimed that they have released women, children, and Baloch passengers, ensuring that all remaining hostages are serving personnel of the Pakistani forces.
The provincial government has imposed emergency measures, and all institutions have been mobilised to deal with the situation, government spokesperson Shahid Rind said. The railways added that more security forces had reached the site of the incident.
The attack comes days after various Baloch resistance groups advocating for Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan announced a new intensified offensive against Pakistan and China and announced a unified outfit named the Baloch National Army.
Balochistan, which has been grappling with years of insurgency, has recently witnessed several terrorist attacks. In the latest incident on March 5, an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the Khuzdar district killed five people and injured five others.
-PTI
