Pakistan Security Forces Battle Militants in Deadly Train Hijacking

Baloch Liberation Army militants hijacked a train in Balochistan, taking hundreds hostage as security forces launch a complex rescue operation.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan, taking approximately 450 passengers hostage, including women and children.
Pakistani security forces have rescued at least 190 hostages so far, while 30 militants have been killed in ongoing operations involving helicopters and ground troops.
The BLA, a separatist group seeking independence for Balochistan, demanded the release of political prisoners and threatened to execute hostages if their demands were not met.
The militants detonated explosives on the railway tracks, immobilizing the train in a tunnel, and reportedly checked IDs to target specific ethnic groups, including Punjabis.
Hostages described the ordeal as terrifying, with survivors recounting how militants used suicide bombers and explosives to threaten passengers.