Pakistan militants seize train and hold passengers hostage in Balochistan
Militants seize train in Pakistan’s Balochistan, hold passengers hostage (Photo: Getty Images)
Armed militants attacked a passenger train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, taking hostages and engaging in heavy gunfire with security forces, BBC reports.
Baloch separatists claim responsibility
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) targeted the Jaffar Express as it traveled from Quetta to Peshawar. The group claimed responsibility, stating that it bombed the railway track before storming the train in the remote Sibi district.
“Security forces have been dispatched to the site, with helicopters assisting the rescue operation,” police officials told the BBC. At least three people, including the train driver, were reported injured. Pakistani authorities have yet to confirm the number of hostages, but railway officials estimate that between 400 and 450 passengers were on board.
According to local media, the train remains stranded near a tunnel surrounded by mountains. A Balochistan government spokesman told Dawn that “intense firing” was ongoing at the scene, while the BLA has warned of “severe consequences” if authorities attempt a rescue.
Families wait for news amid communication blackout
With no internet or mobile coverage in the area, officials say they have not yet been able to establish contact with anyone inside the train. At Quetta railway station, anxious relatives are desperately seeking updates. Some passengers, including women and children, were reportedly able to disembark and are making their way toward Sibi on foot. However, the exact number of those still held remains unknown.
The BLA has waged a decades-long insurgency in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province. It frequently targets railway lines, police stations, and infrastructure, and has been designated a terrorist organization by Pakistan, the UK, and the US. The region has been a hotbed of militant activity, with attacks escalating in recent months.
Just last week, authorities in Pakistan captured the ISIS-K leader responsible for the deadly Kabul airport attack in 2021.
Meanwhile, extremist violence continues to grip the country - only a few months ago, a suicide bombing in Pakistan killed at least 25 people.
