Armed militants in Pakistan’s Balochistan region have attacked a train carrying more than 400 passengers and taken a number of them hostage, military sources said.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) fired at the Jaffar Express Train as it travelled from Quetta to Peshawar.
The separatist group said it had bombed the track before storming the train in the remote Sibi district, claiming the train was under its control.
At least 16 militants have been killed and 104 passengers rescued as of Wednesday morning, local media reported.
The railways official said that as many as 57 recovered passengers from the Jaffar Express were transported to Quetta early Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, 23 other passengers remained in Machh, the officials stated.
Among those rescued are 58 men, 31 women and 15 children. Security sources added that forces are continuing the operation to rescue the other hostages.
Following the security forces’ operation, the militants split into small groups, security sources said, adding that 17 injured passengers were shifted to a nearby hospital for immediate medical treatment.
Security forces have launched a clearance operation in Balochistan’s Bolan district after an unknown number of terrorists took passengers of the Jaffar Express hostage, successfully eliminating at least 16 attackers and rescuing 104 civilians, said security sources.
The train, with over 400 passengers on board in nine bogies, was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it came under attack, according to security sources.
Following the security forces’ operation, the militants split into small groups, security sources said, adding that 17 injured passengers were shifted to a nearby hospital for immediate medical treatment.
The attackers are communicating with their international handlers via satellite phones, said sources.
After security forces received word of the attack, they proceeded to the area with much difficulty due to the difficult terrain and cordoned off the area.
The attackers bombed the railway track before storming aboard the train, said security forces, adding that they also opened fire on the locomotive, injuring the driver.
The locomotive was stopped just before a tunnel, and terrorists took control of the train in a remote, mountainous area of the province which borders Afghanistan and Iran.
The attackers are communicating with their international handlers via satellite phones, said sources.
