Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani security forces have rescued 190 passengers from a hijacked train in the restive Balochistan province, where Baloch insurgents took hundreds of travelers hostage, military sources confirmed on Wednesday.
“So far, 190 passengers have been rescued from terrorists. Thirty insurgents have been killed. Extreme caution is being exercised due to the presence of women and children alongside suicide bombers. The operation to eliminate the remaining terrorists continues,” said sources involved in the rescue operation.
The security forces launched the operation shortly after the Jaffar Express was hijacked on Tuesday afternoon in a remote area of Balochistan. The train, which was en route from Quetta to Peshawar, was attacked around 1:30 p.m. local time while carrying approximately 400 passengers.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging that it had killed 30 security personnel and taken 214 hostages. In a statement released Tuesday night, the insurgent group said it had released women, children, and passengers of Baloch origin while detaining dozens of security personnel. The BLA also issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government, demanding the release of Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons, and national resistance activists, threatening to execute the hostages if their demands were not met.
However, military sources reported that the insurgents were using women and children as human shields to hinder security operations.
The first group of freed passengers arrived at Mach train station, approximately 90 kilometers (56 miles) from the attack site, late Tuesday night aboard a special train arranged by authorities.
The BLA has been waging an armed insurgency for decades, seeking independence for the Baloch people and frequently targeting Pakistani security forces and Chinese investments in the region.
Security forces remain engaged in the operation to rescue the remaining hostages and eliminate the insurgents.
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