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Pakistan train hijack: Over 100 soldiers held, Baloch separatists threaten executions if military acts

Hostage crisis began Tuesday when Baloch Liberation Army militants hijacked Jaffar Express near Machh in Bolan district. Dozens of hostages have been rescued so far.

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New Delhi: Baloch separatist group BLA has threatened to execute Pakistani hostages in the wake of drone strikes and artillery shelling by the nation’s forces after a passenger train carrying around 500 people was attacked in Bolan, Balochistan.

Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack and is reportedly holding more than 200 hostages.

At least 16 separatists are reported to have been killed and 104 passengers rescued by the Pakistani security forces.

The separatists have now released a list of 100 army personnel who were travelling on the train, including senior Pakistani security officers and Major Ahsan Javeed.

In a media statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that Pakistan military was carrying out “irresponsible and foolish military aggression”, proving that the country is “incapable of making serious decisions regarding a prisoner exchange”, and accused authorities of being “driven solely by war madness and stubbornness”.

He also asserted that none of the BLA fighters had been harmed, dismissing claims of separatists being killed, and said they had “excellent defensive tactics and complete battlefield control”, The Balochistan Post reported.

“In response to today’s reckless bombardment, we are forced to execute 10 more hostages immediately. If Pakistani forces launch another attack—even a single bullet—10 additional hostages will be executed immediately,” he stated.

The hostage crisis began Tuesday afternoon when BLA militants hijacked the Jaffar Express near Machh in Bolan district, taking more than 200 Pakistani military, paramilitary, police and intelligence personnel hostage. The BLA issued a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding the immediate release of detained Baloch political prisoners, activists, and captured resistance fighters.

The train was carrying more than 200 security personnel and 450 civilian passengers. Local reports stated that initially approximately 750 passengers were booked for the journey, but only 450 were onboard at the time of the assault.

The 104 people rescued, including 15 children, were evacuated to the nearby Paneer railway station before being transferred to Machh. Efforts to rescue the remaining hostages are ongoing, according to local reports.

The large-scale operation to rescue hostages is on in Dhadar area and is currently focused around the Mushkaf Tunnel, with authorities withholding critical operational details for security reasons. It is unclear whether the passengers rescued were through military action or released by the attackers themselves.

Armed assailants had earlier fired rockets at the locomotive and opened fire, causing the train to halt. Security personnel engaged the attackers in a heavy exchange of gunfire, but the militants managed to hijack the train, checking passengers’ identities and taking hostages into the nearby mountains.

The attackers were heavily armed with automatic weapons and rocket launchers, and had damaged the railway track with explosives, Dawn reported.

Reports said Imran Hayat, divisional railway superintendent in Quetta, confirmed that at least 10 people had died, including the driver of the train, and eight security personnel.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the violence as “inhumane and heinous”, praising the security forces for their “effective action”.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also lauded the forces for their swift response, asserting that the operation would soon end with the defeat of the terrorists. He called the targeting of innocent civilians, especially during the holy month of Ramazan, a clear indication that the attackers had no connection to Islam or Balochistan.

“We will continue our fight against terrorism until it is completely eradicated,” Sharif said in a statement.


Also Read: Baloch grievances need political action. History shows insurgency can’t be killed with force


What is BLA?

Baloch Liberation Army, seeking independence of Balochistan from Pakistan, has become one of the most notorious insurgent groups in Balochistan, largely due to its high-profile attacks against Chinese interests in Pakistan, particularly those tied to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

BLA’s Majeed Brigade, known for its deadly suicide attacks, has led the charge in targeting Chinese infrastructure projects and workers, aiming to disrupt China’s growing influence in the region and highlight the Baloch people’s longstanding socio-economic grievances.

Under the leadership of Aslam Baloch, who took control in 2018, the Majeed Brigade was revived with a new strategic direction, The Diplomat reported. The Majeed Brigade carried out the first suicide bombing targeting Chinese engineers in Dalbandin district in 2018.

Following this, the BLA orchestrated a series of high-profile attacks, including the assault on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi (2018), the attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar (2019), the Pakistan Stock Exchange (2020), and the Karachi University’s Confucius Institute (2022). In response to these attacks, Pakistan officially banned and declared Majeed Brigade as a terrorist group in July 2024.

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)


Also Read: Who are Baloch Liberation Army? Insurgents who killed 30 in Pakistan in last one week


 

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