Pakistan: Baloch militants hijack passenger train; over 100 taken hostages

The Balochistan militants claimed to have taken over a hundred people as hostages after attacking a passenger train with around 400 passengers on board in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday.

Several passengers were injured as the rebel group opened fire at the Jaffar Express in Mushqaf area of the Bolan district.

According to reports, the train was  its way from Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group which seeks independence for Balochistan from Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack and said six security personnel had been killed in the firing.

The rebels also warned of severe consequences if the "occupying forces" attempted any military operation.

"All hundreds of hostages will be executed, and the responsibility for this bloodshed will lie solely with the occupying forces," it said in a statement.

The BLA further claimed that the operation was carried out by its three specialised units—Majeed Brigade, STOS, and Fateh Squad.

"So far, six military personnel have been killed, and hundreds of passengers remain under BLA custody," it said.

Reuters quoted Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind as saying that emergency measures have been imposed and all institutions mobilised to deal with the situation.

Balochistan has been witnessing insurgency for decades with the rebel group carrying out attacks against government, army and Chinese interests in the region.

Reports said there are 17 tunnels in the area on the railway line. The train, which was running slow due to the difficult terrain, was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No 8.

Rescue teams and security forces have reached the site and launched an operation to track down the assailants.