Reports indicate an armed group has commandeered a passenger train in Balochistan province.
According to AFP, armed militants have seized control of a train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, holding approximately 450 passengers hostage.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Citing a statement from the group, AFP reports that BLA fighters used explosives to damage the railway track before seizing the train in the remote Sibi district.
AFP reports that a senior railway official in Quetta has confirmed the hostage situation. The train driver is reportedly injured.
The BLA, in a statement allegedly circulating on social media, claims to have killed 11 military personnel. The group has reportedly threatened to execute all hostages if Pakistani authorities attempt a rescue operation.
The BLA claims to have released women, children, and Baloch passengers. They claim to be holding 100 hostages identified as active-duty personnel from the Pakistani military, police, anti-terrorism force, and intelligence agencies.
The BLA also claims to have fought off a Pakistani military ground assault, while helicopters and drones continue aerial strikes. They are demanding an immediate end to the aerial bombardment, threatening to execute the hostages within one hour if it continues.
The BLA, seeking independence for Balochistan from Islamabad, is designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and least populated province, contains significant mining projects and is the home of the Baloch ethnic minority.
Insurgents in the region frequently target police, military personnel, and foreigners, especially Chinese nationals involved in Pakistan’s infrastructure projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Besides separatists, Islamist militants are also active in the area.
The train involved is reportedly the Jaffar Express, a daily passenger train operated by Pakistan Railways connecting Quetta and Peshawar.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of harboring BLA fighters, particularly before the Taliban takeover. However, there is no indication that the current government in Kabul is suppressing the separatists.
“`