QUETTA, Pakistan — A shocking attack occurred in Balochistan province on Tuesday when insurgents targeted a passenger train maneuvering through a tunnel. The train, loaded with several hundred passengers, became the center of chaos as the insurgents claimed to have taken more than 100 hostages. However, later reports indicated that at least 104 individuals, including women and children, were rescued by security forces. The status of the remaining passengers remains uncertain.
Security personnel reported that the insurgents detonated explosives to destroy a section of the railroad track in the volatile region of southwestern Pakistan. An exchange of gunfire ensued between the attackers and the security guards aboard the train, during which women and children were reportedly used as human shields by the assailants. This act of violence left several passengers injured.
The train was en route from Quetta, the provincial capital, to Peshawar in the north when it fell under attack in the Bolan district. Describing the incident as “an act of terrorism,” government representative Shahid Rind highlighted the challenging landscape, which complicates efforts to reach the location due to its rugged and mountainous topography.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a group engaged in a protracted insurgency, quickly claimed responsibility for the assault. The outfit announced that among the hostages were members of the security forces present on the train. However, Pakistani officials did not verify the capture of security personnel, although trains in Balochistan are commonly accompanied by security details.
Speaking on behalf of the BLA, spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch stated the group’s willingness to release the passengers contingent on the government’s agreement to free imprisoned militants. Although governmental authorities have historically dismissed such proposals, they were not immediately reachable for comment on this latest offer. Both Pakistan and the United States have labeled the BLA as a terrorist organization.
According to officials from Pakistan Railways, the Jafar Express was transporting an estimated 500 passengers at the time of the assault. Three security officers, who spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to brief the press, confirmed that at least 104 passengers had been rescued, comprising 31 women and 15 children. They also reported the death of 16 attackers during the rescue operation.
The attack drew widespread condemnation from various quarters, with both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing their disapproval through separate statements. Antonio Guterres, U.N. Secretary-General, also strongly condemned the attack, urging for the hostages’ immediate release, as announced by the U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Balochistan, rich in oil and minerals, stands as Pakistan’s largest and least populous province. Home to a significant ethnic Baloch minority, the region has long-reported grievances of discrimination and exploitation at the hands of the central government. This is not the first strike by separatists in the area; previously, a suicide bombing claimed 26 lives at a Quetta train station last November.
The BLA, believed by analysts to have about 3,000 fighters, primarily targets Pakistani security forces but has not shied away from attacks on civilians and Chinese workers involved in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. According to Abdullah Khan, an experienced defense analyst, the BLA’s increasing capability points to access to advanced funding and weaponry.
