Pakistan militants attack train and take passengers hostage

 

Armed militants in Pakistan's Balochistan region have attacked a train carrying hundreds of passengers and taken several hostages, according to military sources speaking to the BBC and global time. 

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) fired on the Jaffar Express Train as it traveled from Quetta to Peshawar. In a statement, the separatist group claimed to have bombed the track before storming the train in the remote Sibi district, asserting that the train was under their control.

Pakistani police reported that at least three people, including the train driver, sustained injuries. Security forces have been dispatched to the scene, along with helicopters to facilitate the rescue of hostages. 

Reports indicate "intense firing" was occurring at the train, as noted by a Balochistan government spokesperson. A senior police official stated that the train remains stuck just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains, according to the AFP news agency. A senior army official confirmed to the BBC that there were more than 100 army personnel traveling from Quetta on the train. 

The BLA has warned of "severe consequences" if an attempt is made to rescue those it holds. The group has waged a decades-long insurgency for independence and has launched numerous deadly attacks, often targeting police stations, railway lines, and highways. The Pakistani government, along with several Western countries, including the UK and US, has designated the BLA as a terrorist organization.

Quetta's railway controller, Muhammad Kashif, informed the BBC that between 400 and 450 passengers had booked tickets for the train. Officials have not confirmed how many people they believe have been taken hostage. A local railway official reported that a group of 80 passengers—comprised of 11 children, 26 women, and 43 men—had disembarked the train and reached the nearest railway station, Panir. They boarded a cargo train to Mach railway station, from where a bus was to take them back to Quetta. This group primarily consisted of locals from Balochistan. 

One man told the BBC that his wife and children were among this group, but his brother-in-law remained on the train. He described an agonizing wait to learn about his family's safety and indicated he had tried to drive to the area but found all roads closed. Railway officials in Quetta reported earlier that women and children had disembarked from the train and were walking toward Sibi city, although they did not provide an exact number.

Meanwhile, families of passengers were seeking information at the Quetta railway station. The son of one passenger, Muhammad Ashraf, who departed Quetta for Lahore on Tuesday morning, reported to BBC Urdu that he had been unable to contact his father. Another relative expressed his distress over his cousin and her small child, who were traveling from Quetta to Multan to retrieve a family member. "No one is informing me about what is happening or whether they are safe," Imran Khan told Reuters.

Officials stated they have yet to establish communication with anyone on the train. The area is reportedly without internet and mobile network coverage, according to officials cited by the press. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province and the richest in natural resources, yet it remains the least developed.