Egypt Daily News – Officials said that gunmen took more than 450 passengers hostage aboard a train and injured its driver in an attack on Tuesday in the troubled Balochistan province of southwestern Pakistan.
Mohammad Kashif, a senior railway official in Quetta, the provincial capital, told AFP that “gunmen are holding more than 450 passengers hostage aboard the train.”
Railway officials said the Jaffar Express was traveling from Quetta in Balochistan, southwestern Pakistan, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it came under gunfire.
In a statement, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an armed separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had taken hostages from the train, including security personnel.
The train became trapped inside a tunnel after the attack, during which gunmen heavily fired upon it, leaving the driver injured, according to police and railway officials. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the assault, stating that they had taken hostages from the train, including members of the security forces, though the exact number remains unknown.
In a statement, the group claimed they had released women, children, and Baloch passengers, asserting that all remaining captives were personnel of what they referred to as the “occupying forces.” The lack of communication with the 450 passengers and crew on board has raised concerns about their safety, with railway officials unable to establish any contact.
The Jaffar Express was traveling from Quetta in Balochistan to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it came under attack. A spokesperson for the Balochistan government labeled the incident an act of terrorism and confirmed that an investigation is currently underway.
Reports indicate that heavy gunfire was directed at the railway, and the difficult terrain in the area has made it challenging for authorities to access the scene. A relief train has been dispatched, and security forces have been deployed to the region to assess the situation and attempt a resolution.
A senior police official stated that the train remains halted just before a tunnel, surrounded by rugged mountains. The location, known for its difficult geography, has long been a stronghold for militants who use the terrain to establish hideouts and plan attacks.
In response to the crisis, a state of emergency has been declared at Sibi Hospital, and ambulances have been dispatched, though they are struggling to reach the site due to the region’s challenging landscape. Officials from both the railway department and the local government have yet to confirm the exact number of hostages taken.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, strongly condemned the attack, stating that the government would not tolerate such violence against innocent passengers. He described the gunmen as “beasts” and reaffirmed that no concessions would be made to those who endanger civilians.
As a precautionary measure, the Balochistan government has imposed emergency protocols to handle the crisis. Trains in the region typically have security personnel on board due to previous deadly attacks carried out by separatist groups targeting both railway infrastructure and security forces.
