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Pakistani Army Ends Train Hijacking in Balochistan, Rescues Over 300 Hostages

A deadly standoff with Baloch separatists left dozens dead, highlighting ongoing insurgency and resource tensions in the region.

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Pakistani soldiers secure Mach railway station after Pakistani security forces freed some of the passengers from an ambushed train held hostage by armed rebels in the southwestern province of Balochistan
Passengers, who were rescued from a train after it was attacked by separatist militants, sit at the Mach Railway Station in Mach, Balochistan, Pakistan, March 11, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
An injured passenger rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by insurgents arrive at a railway station in Much near Quetta, Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Overview

  • Pakistani forces concluded a high-stakes operation to rescue over 300 hostages from a train hijacked by Baloch Liberation Army militants in Balochistan.
  • The attack, which began with explosives derailing the Jaffer Express, resulted in at least 33 militants killed and 21 passengers dead, according to official reports.
  • The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility, demanding the release of political prisoners and accusing the government of exploiting the region's resources.
  • The hijackers, some wearing suicide vests, used hostages as human shields, complicating rescue efforts that involved snipers and helicopter support.
  • The incident underscores decades-long tensions in Balochistan, where separatist groups have waged an insurgency for greater autonomy and control over natural resources.