Baloch Liberation Army Hijacks Train, Takes 450 Hostage in Pakistan
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Tuesday claimed responsibility for hijacking the Jaffar Express train, taking over 450 people hostage, including passengers and soldiers. The train, carrying passengers from Quetta to Peshawar, was hijacked in Pakistan’s Balochistan province in the Bolan district. The BLA reported that more than 20 Pakistani soldiers had been killed during the attack. The train, after being hijacked, had been stopped in a countryside location, and its fate was unclear. A government official confirmed security officials were moving to the location to handle the situation. They drove back Pakistani ground troops as per the BLA and forced them to retreat, but helicopter and drone strikes continued. Initially, over 450 passengers and crew members were taken hostage, but civilians including women, children, the old, and Baloch nationals, were released later by the BLA. 104 hostages, of which 58 were males, 31 were females, and 15 were children, were rescued by security agencies till Tuesday evening. Wounded tourists were taken to hospitals while rescuing other hostages continued.
