In a startling attack in Balochistan, the Baloch Liberation Army ambushed the Jaffar Express, leaving several injured and taking passengers hostage. The group has warned against rescue attempts while security forces mobilize to respond.
Armed Attack on Pakistani Train: Hostages Taken in Balochistan Incident
Armed Attack on Pakistani Train: Hostages Taken in Balochistan Incident
Militants from the Baloch Liberation Army seize a train, injuring multiple passengers and holding hostages amid escalating tensions.
Armed militants in Pakistan's Balochistan province have launched a brazen assault on the Jaffar Express train, which was transporting hundreds of passengers from Quetta to Peshawar. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, revealing that they had planted explosives on the tracks before storming the train in the remote Sibi district, asserting control over the vehicle.
Local police report that at least three individuals, including the train driver, sustained injuries during the assault. Emergency services and military response units have been dispatched to the location, including helicopters that are being deployed to assist in hostage rescue efforts. Reports indicate "intense firing" within the vicinity of the train, according to a government spokesman in Balochistan.
Currently immobilized just shy of a mountain tunnel, the train remains in a precarious position. The BLA has issued stern warnings against any rescue operations, threatening "severe consequences" for any attempts to liberate the hostages. This militant group has a notorious history of conducting attacks in pursuit of an independent Balochistan, targeting strategic installations such as police stations and transportation routes.
On board the train, there were approximately 400 to 450 passengers, although the total number of hostages taken has not been confirmed. Some reports suggest that women and children managed to escape and are now heading towards Sibi. Families of passengers are anxiously seeking updates from the railway counter at Quetta, with one such individual, Muhammad Ashraf, expressing distress over his inability to reach his father who was on board.
Communication with the passengers remains non-existent as the area suffers from a lack of both internet and mobile coverage. Balochistan is known for its wealth in natural resources, yet it remains one of Pakistan's most underdeveloped provinces.
