Pakistan Says 155 Hostages Rescued, but 300 Remain on Train Seized by Balochistan Liberation Army
Pakistani security forces have rescued 155 passengers from a train hijacked by separatist forces, as operations to free hundreds more continue. The military launched a major operation on Wednesday against the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which seized the train the previous day. Officials reported that about 300 hostages remain on board.
The train, carrying approximately 450 passengers, including army personnel, was attacked while traveling through the remote southwest region of Balochistan. The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan from Islamabad. Security forces are proceeding with caution, as the captives are surrounded by BLA fighters wearing explosive vests. At least 27 rebels have been killed, officials added. The number of casualties among soldiers, passengers, and rebel fighters remains unclear.
The BLA has claimed responsibility for the attack and stated it is open to negotiations for a prisoner swap. On Tuesday, the group threatened to start executing hostages unless Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing persons allegedly abducted by the military were released within 48 hours. So far, the government has not responded to the offer or the threat.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have strongly condemned the attack. Government spokesman Shahid Rind described it as “an act of terrorism.”
Balochistan’s Contested Terrain
BLA fighters blew up the railway track and opened fire on the train in the remote Sibi district as it traveled from Quetta, Balochistan’s capital, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Oil and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest and least populated province. It is home to the country’s ethnic Baloch minority, who claim they face discrimination from the central government.
The BLA alleges that the region’s natural resources are being exploited by outsiders and has intensified attacks targeting Pakistanis and others from different regions. Violence has surged along Balochistan’s western border with Afghanistan since the Taliban reclaimed power in 2021.
The BLA has carried out deadly attacks on trains and buses. In November, a separatist group conducted a suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta, killing 26 people. In February, BLA fighters killed seven Punjabi travelers after ordering them off a bus. Chinese-backed infrastructure and citizens around the Arabian Sea have also been targeted.
Pakistan and the United States have designated the BLA, estimated to have about 3,000 fighters, as a terrorist organization.
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