Separatist militants in southwestern Pakistan have claimed responsibility for a train attack on Tuesday, during which they reportedly took 182 hostages, including military personnel. They have threatened to execute the captives unless security forces withdraw from the region.
The train, carrying approximately 400 passengers, was trapped in a tunnel, with the driver suffering severe injuries. Local authorities, police, and railway officials have yet to confirm the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) claim of hostages.
An explosion was heard near the tunnel, and security forces are engaged in gunfire exchanges with the militants in a mountainous area. The BLA, which advocates for the independence of Balochistan, an area bordering Afghanistan and Iran, also claimed responsibility for killing 20 soldiers and shooting down a drone. Pakistani authorities have not confirmed these reports.
In a statement released to the media, the BLA confirmed that 182 hostages were taken from the train, including soldiers and other security personnel on leave. However, the group assured that civilian passengers, particularly women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens, were safely released and provided with a secure route.
The BLA has warned that all hostages will be executed if military intervention continues.
The Jaffar Express was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when it came under attack.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the attack, declaring that the government would not negotiate with “beasts who fire on innocent passengers.”
In response, the Balochistan government has declared emergency measures, according to spokesperson Shahid Rind, although no further details were provided.
The BLA is the largest of several separatist groups in Balochistan, a region rich in gas and mineral resources, which has long claimed that the central government exploits its resources without benefiting the local population. The ongoing insurgency has led to frequent attacks on government forces, military personnel, and Chinese interests in the area.