Baloch Militants 'Open Fire' On Train Passengers In Pakistan, Claim To Have Taken Hostages Among 400 Aboard

Militants advocating for separatism claimed to have seized hostages in an assault on a train transporting hundreds of individuals in the southwestern region of Pakistan on Tuesday (11 March). They issued threats to murder the captives if their conditions were not satisfied.

Representatives from the regional government and railway authorities have not yet verified if any hostages were seized, Indian Express reported.

Following the attack, the train, with approximately 400 passengers on board, was stranded within a tunnel. The assault resulted in the train being fired upon and the driver sustaining injuries, according to statements from the police and railway authorities.

The security personnel reported hearing an explosion near the tunnel, followed by a gunfire exchange with the militants in a hilly region.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist organisation, issued a statement declaring that they had seized hostages from a train, which included members of the security forces. They warned of potential execution of these hostages if the security forces did not withdraw.

Condemning the attack, Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi asserted that the government would not make any concessions to “beasts who fire on innocent passengers”.

Rind stated that the government of Balochistan has implemented emergency procedures to address the situation.

The longstanding rebellion in Balochistan, spearheaded by separatist militant organisations, has resulted in regular assaults against the government, military, and Chinese stakeholders in the area. This is part of their ongoing push to obtain a portion of the region's abundant mineral resources.

The BLA is fighting for Balochistan's independence. As the largest among numerous ethnic rebel groups, it has been in conflict with the government of the South Asian country for many years. The BLA claims that the government is unjustly taking advantage of Balochistan's abundant gas and mineral wealth.