30 killed as rebels take hostages on Pak train

Armed separatists launched a brazen assail on a rider rail in west saxon islamic republic of pakistan on Tuesday, taking hostages and leaving the fate of hundreds of travellers uncertain in one of the most stunning militant operations in the region in recent years.Over multiple statements, the Baloch Liberation Army claimed they had taken 214 hostages -- up from 182 they claimed earlier. These, the group said, were active Pakistani security personnel among the estimated 400-500 people on board the Jaffar Express, while releasing other civilians. Local police confirmed that at least 35 passengers had been taken hostage, with nearly 350 believed to be safe. However, the government did not clarify if the 35 passengers still believed to be in militants’ custody were civilians. The administration also did not disclose any fatalities, while the group claimed it had killed “30 enemy personnel” as they exchanged fire with security forces.“BLA has maintained complete control of the train and all hostages for the past eight hours. Under the rules of war, these 214 hostages are considered prisoners of war and BLA is prepared for a prisoner exchange,” the group said in a statement around 10pm, setting a 48-hour deadline for “the occupying state of Pakistan” to “release Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons and national resistance activists”. The group added that if demands were not met “or if the occupying state attempts any military action”, all hostages will be killed and the train destroyed. “The Pakistani army will bear full responsibility for the consequences.” News agency Reuters cited three Pakistani security officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media as saying that troops had launched an operation to rescue the hostages. They accused the militants of using women and children as human shields.The militants ambushed the train as it travelled through British-era tunnels in the mountainous Bolan district of Balochistan province, blowing up a section of railway track and trapping the convoy in difficult terrain around 1:00 pm (0800 GMT). The attack occurred in rural Sibi district, near a city station where the train had been due to stop.According to Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway government official in Quetta, more than 450 passengers were aboard when the train came under attack. The train had departed Quetta for Peshawar, in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—a more than 30-hour journey—at around 9:00 am.A senior police official from the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that “the train remains stuck just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains,” making rescue operations extremely challenging.“Throughout the ongoing operation, our fighters are continuously strengthening their positions, leading the operation and challenging the might of the Pakistani military,” an earlier statement by the group declared.Pakistani security officials reported that the train driver was severely wounded in the attack. Local residents confirmed seeing dozens of ambulances—between 35 and 40—dispatched to the area, though rescue efforts have been hampered by the rugged, mountainous landscape. In Quetta, a fleet of military helicopters was also seen taking off. An emergency has been imposed at hospitals in Sibi, according to government officials.Interior minister Mohsin Naqvi took a hard line against negotiations, condemning the attack and stating the government would not make concessions to “beasts who fire on innocent passengers.” The Balochistan government has imposed emergency measures, spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed, calling the incident “an act of terrorism.”The BLA is the largest of several ethnic militant groups that have waged a decades-long insurgency against the Pakistani government, seeking independence for Balochistan province. The oil- and mineral-rich region borders both Afghanistan and Iran and is Pakistan’s largest but least populated province.Baloch nationalists claim the central government exploits the province’s natural resources, including natural gas, coal, copper, and gold, while the local population remains impoverished. The insurgency has intensified in recent years, with militants increasingly targeting Chinese workers and investments in the region, which they view as furthering Pakistan’s exploitation of their homeland.Violence has soared in the western border regions with Afghanistan, from north to south, since the Taliban took back power in 2021. More than 1,600 people were killed in attacks in Pakistan in 2024—the deadliest year in almost a decade—according to the Center for Research and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based analysis group.The BLA has claimed responsibility for several recent deadly attacks. In November, the group carried out a bombing at Quetta’s main railway station that killed 26 people, including 14 soldiers. BLA militants killed seven Punjabi travellers in February after they were ordered off a bus, and at least 39 people were killed in coordinated attacks last year that largely targeted ethnic Punjabis.Tuesday’s train seizure represents a tactical evolution for the BLA, demonstrating sophisticated planning and execution. The Majeed Brigade, which is holding the hostages, is known as the BLA’s suicide attack unit, suggesting the militants may be prepared for a prolonged standoff.As night descended on the remote region, the fates of many passengers remained unclear, with Pakistani authorities facing a complex crisis that threatens to escalate the long-running conflict in the troubled province.

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