by Admin
11/03/2025
Separatist militants in southwestern Pakistan claimed responsibility for an attack on a train on Tuesday morning, claiming that they had taken 182 hostages, including military personnel, and have warned that they would execute the hostages if Pakistan security forces did not withdraw from the area.
The Jaffar Express, carrying approximately 400 passengers, was reportedly trapped inside a tunnel, with its driver sustaining severe injuries.
According to local authorities, police, and railway officials, they did not confirm the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) claims regarding the hostages.
Pakistan security forces reported hearing an explosion near the tunnel and engaging in a gunfight with the militants in the mountainous terrain.
The BLA, which seeks independence for Balochistan, a province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, claimed to have killed 20 soldiers and shot down a drone. Still, the Pakistani military has yet to verify these assertions.
In a statement sent to journalists and shared on Telegram, the BLA said it had safely released civilian passengers, particularly women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens while issuing a stark warning:
“If military intervention continues, all hostages will be executed.”
The attack occurred as the train traveled from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, condemned the assault and reiterated that the government would not negotiate with “beasts who fire on innocent passengers.”
In response, the Balochistan government has implemented emergency measures to manage the crisis, according to spokesperson Shahid Rind, though further details were not provided.
The BLA is the largest among several separatist groups that have waged an insurgency against the Pakistani government for decades, with claims that Balochistan’s vast gas and mineral resources are being exploited without any benefit for the local population.
The region has been a hotspot for frequent attacks targeting government forces and the army, and Chinese government interests are linked to economic projects.