New Delhi: Security officials said that at least 16 terrorists were killed and 104 passengers rescued after Baloch militants hijacked a passenger train inside a tunnel in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province Tuesday.
Days after they declared their plan to fight the Pakistani establishment under a unified military command, Baloch separatist groups hijacked and derailed an express train in Balochistan province.
Security sources confirmed that in an ongoing gun battle with the militants they managed to rescue 104 passengers, including women and children, ANI reported.
“In the gun battle, which is still going on, 16 militants have been killed and many others injured,” one source said, adding that the clean up operation will continue until all passengers are rescued from the train.
The other militants are said to have taken some of the passengers into the mountains with the security forces pursuing them in the dark.
The source added that the passengers rescued, including 58 men, 31 women and 15 children, have been sent to Mach (a town in Kachhi district in Balochistan province of Pakistan) by another train.
“The militants have now formed small groups to try to escape in the dark, but the security forces have surrounded the tunnel and the remaining passengers will also be rescued soon,” the source said.
The security forces had earlier managed to rescue 80 passengers, including 43 men, 26 women and 11 children, said Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind.
Jaffar Express, which was suspended last year due to security concerns, among other issues, resumed operations last week and was headed to Peshawar from Quetta when Baloch separatist groups opened fire at it.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) took responsibility for the attack and in a statement Tuesday claimed it had taken at least 182 military and police personnel hostage, after releasing all women, children and civilians who were on board the train.
It added that among those held hostage are active duty personnel from the Pakistani military, police, and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
In a later statement, BLA said it had already “eliminated” 20 military personnel.
“Baloch Liberation Army has carried out a meticulously planned operation in Mashkaf, Dhadar, Bolan, where our freedom fighters have blown up the railway track, forcing the Jaffar Express to come to a halt. The fighters swiftly took control of the train, holding all passengers hostage,” BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch had said in the statement issued earlier in the day.
In the statement, the BLA warned of ‘severe consequences’ if any military operation is attempted to rescue the hostages. “All hundreds of hostages will be executed, and the responsibility for this bloodshed will lie solely with the occupying forces.”
Soon after, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed the attack and said an emergency had been declared in local hospitals amid heavy firing, adding that ambulances had been dispatched to the scene. “There are reports of heavy gunfire targeting Jaffar Express, which was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar,” Rind said. Controller Railways Muhammad Kashif said the train with nine coaches had approximately 500 passengers on board, Dawn reported. Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, home minister of Pakistan’s Sindh province, has condemned the attack.
The BLA, meanwhile, claimed the attack was jointly carried out by its specialised units, the Majeed Brigade, STOS, and Fateh Squad. It added that fighters repelled a ground assault by the Pakistani military following the hijack of Jaffar Express.
After fierce clashes, Pakistani ground troops were forced to retreat, but military helicopters and drones continued to target the area, the BLA claimed. The Baloch separatist group has now issued a final ultimatum—if aerial bombardment is not stopped immediately, they would execute all hostages.
Pakistan was ranked second on the Global Terror Index (2025). The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) took responsibility for as many as 504 terrorist attacks reported in the country in 2024. This marked a jump of 45 percent from the number of attacks reported the previous year. In November 2024, a suicide blast at Quetta railway station had killed at least 26 people and injured 62 others.
This is an updated version of the report since this is a developing story
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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